Finding You
by harry horror
Summary: As a newly-hired tournament organizer for Industrial Illusions, Yugi Mutou can't figure out why Yami Atemu, celebrity duelist and King of Games, is so interested in pursuing him. That is until he discovers that Yami believes he's some kind of ancient pharaoh and, Yugi is his soul mate – hikari – whatever. It's all just crazy talk - right?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

* * *

Yami Atemu was going to be the death of him.

Tucking his clipboard under his arm, Yugi picked up speed. He gritted his teeth as he checked his watch. Ten minutes till show. He rounded the corner of the utility corridor and gave a passing wave to one of his team, Mana, a dark haired girl who was hiding a smile behind her hand as he passed. He hurried to a jog, building speed as he reached the staging rooms, coming to a stop in front of one of the doors.

He straightened his headset, taking a breath before knocking, waiting for the muffled reply before letting himself in.

"Atemu-san," Yugi greeted. He gave a quick bow. "I need to get you to the arena floor."

The duelist champion was seated in one of the armchairs arranged in the corner of the room, his long legs sprawled out in front of him with the easy confidence of the title he held – King of Games. Yami smiled at him, the flash of white teeth startling against the tan of his skin. The room was the largest of the staging rooms, a nod to the celebrity status of its occupant, with slick cherry wood floors and planters of bamboo jutting towards the ceiling.

"Hello, Yugi," Yami said.

"Mana told me that you're refusing to go out on the floor," Yugi said. "Is there a problem?"

"I wanted to speak with you beforehand," Yami said. He was wearing all black, drawing out the ridges of gold in the tri-colored spikes of his hair.

Yugi grimaced. "I need you to be ready to duel in," he checked his watch, "seven minutes. How can we make that happen?"

Yami's smile widened.

Yugi resisted the urge to throw his clipboard at his head. He was a patient person, really he was, but ever since he'd met him, Yami's life mission seemed to be finding new ways to push his buttons.

"Atemu-san – "

"Call me, Yami."

"I feel that given our professional relationship," Yugi said, swallowing his frustration, "addressing you by your surname is more appropriate. We've discussed this - more than once."

Yami's smile remained.

Yugi continued, "I do, however, feel that said professional relationship does allow me, in my capacity as tournament organizer, to ask you to please follow me to the arena floor."

Yami watched him. "Talking to you is more interesting."

Letting out a breath, Yugi stared up at the ceiling, hoping that by some luck it would collapse on top of him and put him out of his misery. "Atemu-san," he said, "please, just come with me so we can get your duel started. It's being televised – _live_. You can't just decide not to do it at the last minute!"

"I want to get to know you better," Yami said, "outside of work."

In his ear, Yugi's headpiece crackled with the voice of one of his team. "Three minutes to show."

Yugi stared at the duelist champion in front of him, initiating a staring contest that reminded Yugi of the old cowboy movies that his grandfather had once been fascinated by. He half expected tumbleweed to blow between the two of them, distant salon doors swinging as the townspeople took cover from the hellfire to come.

He so did not have time for this. Yugi glanced at his watch, grinding his teeth again. Yami had sprung his trap and it was either call his bluff or fold. The older boy's face was set in the same poker face that he often wore in his duels; he wasn't getting him to move until he got what he wanted.

"You'll go to your duel if I hang out with you?" Yugi said.

Yami nodded.

"Okay - fine," Yugi conceded. He hurried the older boy out of his chair, urging him to the door. Yami took a few slow steps and, Yugi glared at him, incredulous. "You're moving slow on purpose!"

Yami shrugged, a smirk pulling on his lips.

They reached the arena floor in the nick of time. Yugi took the mic from one of his team, wiring Yami for sound, his fingers trembling as he situated the ear piece around the shell of the older boy's ear. Yami's gaze burned through him. The rumble of the crowd was building. Show time.

"Okay," Yugi said, double checking the mic. "You're good to go. You'll be live as soon as you're out." He led Yami to the curtain that hid the arena from view. The announcer was welcoming everyone to the next duel. "Best of luck, Atemu-san."

"Yami," the older boy corrected.

Yugi shook his head, listening for the announcement of Yami's competitor. Less than ten seconds. There was a scattering of cheers and clapping and then, Yami's name was called. A roar of applause echoed in the arena and, Yugi urged Yami forward.

The duelist champion didn't move. "Call me Yami," he said, his voice muted in the commotion coming from beyond the curtain.

Yugi was sure that he'd ground his teeth down to dust in the past ten minutes. "Best of luck, _Yami_."

Yami smiled at him, striding through the curtain and leaving Yugi shaking his head.

* * *

Yugi flopped into a chair in the screen room.

A row of monitors stretched in front of him, showing the duel at various angles and the two announcers sitting in their booth. He rubbed his eyes, listening to the chatter in his ear piece as his team discussed a bar crawl after the tournament concluded on Sunday. _Two days to go_, Yugi reminded himself. He turned down the volume on his headset, watching the screens.

The duel had just started, and Yami was all business as he laid down a monster card, a hologram of the Dark Magician appearing on the playing field. Yugi sighed, confirming all the camera shots were steady and focused before slumping back and spinning a turn in his chair.

He didn't understand where Yami's desire to drive him crazy was coming from. They'd met a month ago at a tournament in Kyoto. Yugi had just started working for Industrial Illusions as an event producer, assisting the now trillion yen company organize the numerous gaming tournaments that they hosted in Japan and internationally.

Yugi had actually been looking forward to meeting the King of Games. All of his staff had told him what a good-mannered, down-to-earth gentleman Yami was, and Yugi had been expecting such when he'd introduced himself to the duelist champion to escort him to his first duel of the Kyoto competition a month ago. Instead, Yami had refused to leave his room, grilling him on who he was and where he'd come from.

It had taken him ten minutes to get Yami to his duel, and he'd practically had to shove him into the arena. Luckily, the tournament hadn't been televised being as the duelist champion was more than five minutes late. The next day, Yami had summoned him to his room and, Yugi had sprinted to get there, only to hear Yami's request for a bottle of water. A day later, the older boy had asked that he personally deliver a cup of tea before the competition finals, drawing him away from his preparations to play servant to the King of Games.

Yugi just didn't get it. Everyone kept telling him what a great person Yami was, but in all of Yugi's encounters with him, the King of Games seemed nothing but an arrogant, pompous diva.

"Mutou-sama!" Mana buzzed in his ear.

Yugi turned the volume back up on his headset. "What's up?" He glanced up, doing a double take as he found Yami's podium empty on the screens. "Shit!" Yugi said, the expletive escaping him as he shot up from his chair. "Where is Yami Atemu?"

"He won, sir!" Mana said. "Three turns - that has to be some kind of record!"

Yugi slammed into the hallway. "He had twenty minutes to fill!" he said. "He can't just walk off the floor after a few minutes of play!"

"What should I - ?"

"Move Ryuzaki-san and Haga-san up," Yugi said, moving down the hall. "Tell them it's an emergency and, we apologize for the inconvenience."

"On it!" Mana said. "I already have them moving to curtain."

"Thank you, Mana," Yugi said, letting out a breath. "Where is Atemu-san now?"

Static crackled over the mic. "I would guess his room."

Yugi pounded down the stairs before striding down the hall to Yami's room. He didn't bother to knock. "Atemu-san!" he said, closing the door harder than he'd meant. It slammed shut behind him.

Yami looked up from his phone, already sprawled back in his chair.

"You can't just – " Yugi said, frustration robbing the words from his head. "You can't just do that!"

"I thought the objective of a duel was to win," Yami said.

"Not in three moves!" Yugi said, exasperated. "Do you want me to get fired? Is that the point of all this?"

"On the contrary," Yami said, "such a defeat will only bring further press to your event. All press is good press, is it not?"

Yugi had never actually wanted to strangle someone before. Now, he was considering it.

"So, what am I supposed to do with the fifteen minutes of dead air you left me with?" Yugi said.

Yami shrugged, pocketing his phone. "You're intelligent," he said. "I'm positive you have a backup plan for such contingencies."

Yugi fisted his clipboard in his hands.

"Haga-san and Ryuzaki-san are on," Mana said in his ear. "I told them to go ahead and smack talk as much as they want. That should kill an extra hour or so." She laughed, cutting out.

"When are you free to spend time with me?" Yami said.

"I am _not _going out with you."

Yami frowned. "We made a deal."

Yugi sputtered. "The deal was for you to go duel!"

"I have fulfilled this portion of our agreement."

"Three turns is not a duel!"

The duelist champion titled his head to the side. "In terms of our professional relationship, retracting your word once given would reflect poorly on Industrial Illusions."

"Are you _blackmailing_ me?" Yugi said, incredulous. He rubbed his hand down his face, sinking down in the chair across from Yami. He looked up, studying the duelist champion. "Why are you set on this? You don't even like me!"

"On the contrary," Yami said, "I enjoy your presence."

"Then why are you making so much trouble for me?" Yugi said. "When I met you a month ago, I practically had to drag you to the stage floor every day and now all of this!"

"I enjoy seeing you flustered," Yami said.

Yugi weighed the clipboard in his hand. One throw was worth his job. It really was.

"I have observed your manner with others," Yami continued. "You are polite – agreeable – however, I prefer you when you forget your social graces." Yami unfolded from his chair. He crossed the distance between them, putting his hands on the arm rests on either side of Yugi, caging him.

Yugi leaned back, a flush crawling up the back of his neck. "What are you doing?"

"Gauging your reaction," Yami said.

"To what?"

"Our proximity."

Yugi was frozen in place. The way that Yami was staring at him was unsettling, rousing a flutter in his stomach that he hadn't felt for some time. "Well – stop it."

"Will you accept the terms of our deal?" Yami said.

The intensity of Yami's gaze was making stringing words together much more difficult. "I'm seeing someone," Yugi forced out.

Yami narrowed his eyes. "A boyfriend?"

"Well – no," Yugi said. "But, it's getting serious."

"You will meet me for drinks this evening then."

"And then our deal will be finished?" Yugi said. "And you'll stop making so much trouble for me?"

"If that is what you wish."

"Mutou-sama!" Mana said, interrupting them through Yugi's earpiece. "Haga-san is getting a little bit, um, liberal with his use of, uh, expletives. Should I say something to him…or…?"

"I'm coming to stage floor now," Yugi said.

Yami didn't move.

"I have to go," Yugi said.

Yami stared at him for a moment longer. "I will see you later tonight."

The older boy stepped away, and Yugi hurried out of the room, his mind churning to figure out how he was going to make it through the next two days of the competition.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Yugi dragged himself out of the screen room.

It was only six o'clock but, the last twelve hours had, had him hauling butt around the entire building, putting out fires and trying to keep the duelists from killing each other between rounds. The tournament was one of Industrial Illusion's biggest of the year, hosting a hundred duelists before whittling them down to one champion over three days. The entire thing was televised and aired live on the company's sponsored gaming channel, arousing a whole new series of headaches as Yugi tried to synchronize duels, interviews, and commercial breaks with all of Japan glued to their screens.

Yugi rubbed his neck, trying to massage the stiff muscles as he walked down the hall. He had spent the last hour with his staff, going over the game plan for the next day and advising them to get some sleep, needless advice considering everyone could barely keep their eyes open. Yugi was already fantasizing about a long, hot shower, room service, and collapsing into bed when he remembered Yami's insistence on meeting him for drinks.

Yugi sighed, a deep exhale of air that held every whisper of his frustration. He just wanted to relax. Maybe Yami had forgotten about the whole thing. He was a celebrity after all. Surely he had better things to do than spend his Friday night with him? It wasn't like Yugi had his cell phone number and, Yami hadn't told him a time or a place so, it wasn't Yugi's fault if he couldn't get in touch with him to finalize their plans.

It took Yugi twenty minutes to get to his hotel and by the time he crossed the gilded lobby, his limbs were heavy with exhaustion. The hotel was hosting all of the event staff as well as the top ten ranked duelists of the competition. As long as Yugi didn't run into Yami on the way up to his room, he was home free. He pressed the button for his floor and slumped against the elevator wall, watching the numbers click up as he ran through his list of to-dos for the next day. The doors parted after a few seconds, and Yugi stepped out onto his floor, rounding the corner to his room, already imagining curling under the covers. He wanted to cry as he spotted the visitor leaning against his door.

"Atemu-san," Yugi said. He closed the distance between them, stopping in front of the older boy, forcing a smile. "I figured you'd forgotten about me."

Crimson eyes found his, and butterflies flooded Yugi's stomach. Yami must have coerced the front desk into giving him his room number. _So close but, so far_, Yugi thought, resigning himself to his fate. He wasn't getting away with skipping out on their deal no matter how tired he was.

"I'll have to change before we can go out," Yugi said, plucking at his wrinkled clothing.

"I assumed you would prefer to stay in," Yami said. He raised his arm, brandishing a bottle of wine. "So, I brought refreshments."

"Oh," Yugi said, words jumbling in his head as the older boy's eyes stayed on his. He dropped his gaze to the wine bottle, trying to form a coherent sentence. "That was - thoughtful of you."

They stood in silence for a moment.

Yugi fumbled for his room key. "I guess we should probably go in," he said. His hands shook as he tried to get the key in the slot. After the second try, the lock clicked open and, Yugi pressed inside.

Flipping on the lights, Yugi unbuttoned his jacket, hanging it on the hook as Yami passed him, stepping into the suite. It was one of the larger rooms in the hotel, complete with a meeting area and a private bedroom and bathroom. A long table stretched across part of the room, papers, files, and empty tea cups still scattered across the surface from the early team meeting they had, had before the tournament's opening.

"I apologize for the mess," Yugi said, watching the older boy as he walked to the windows stretching across the room, offering a view of the Okayama skyline. "My team was here this morning, and I didn't want the maid to disturb the filing system I have going."

Yami turned around, his eyebrow raised.

"I was kidding," Yugi said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm usually a bit more organized than this but, this tournament is a big one – lots of paperwork."

Yami continued to watch him, and Yugi rocked back on his heels.

"So," Yugi said, desperate to fill the silence with some sort of noise. "I have some cups here somewhere." Grateful to be able to turn away from the older boy's stare, he raided the minibar for some glasses only to come up with two teacups. He flopped down in an arm chair, holding up the cups for Yami's inspection.

Yami pulled a corkscrew out of his pocket. He took the cups from Yugi, their fingers brushing, before he filled them. Handing Yugi a cup, he settled back on the adjacent couch, spine ramrod straight as if he expected Yugi to get up and flee the room at any second.

Yugi took a sip of his wine. He was a lightweight when it came to alcohol but, he didn't mind a glass of wine every once in a while, especially when it was good quality, and whatever Yami had served him was definitely top of the line. Fingering the cup, he surveyed the man across from him. Yami's skin glowed with warm undertones of Middle Eastern descent, his frame long and lean, and eyes framed with thick lashes. It was no secret that the duelist champion had been born with good genes, earning him numerous magazine covers and billboards, and a hoard of fangirls that stalked his every step.

"Tell me about the man you are seeing," Yami said.

"Oh – well," Yugi said, staring down into his cup. _Guess we are just jumping right in… _"His name is Ryuji."

Yami was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"We met a few weeks ago. He's really great. We don't get to see each other that much since we both travel for work but, he's a good guy," Yugi said. He took a long pull on his drink, avoiding Yami's gaze and staring out the windows instead.

"Are you in love with him?"

Yugi choked. "Well, I'm not exactly sure," he said, coughing until he could manage a free breath.. "It's only been two months. But maybe eventually, I guess." He fiddled with his cup. "I could see being in love with him." He chanced a glance in Yami's direction and found the older boy's face had darkened. Apparently, that wasn't the answer he'd been looking for. Yugi promptly diverted the conversation. "What about you, Atemu-san – are you seeing anyone?"

"I will be soon, yes," Yami said. "I've recently discovered someone who has eluded me for quite some time."

"Really?" Yugi said. "Someone from your past?"

"No," Yami said, shaking his head. "He is new to my life but, we were destined to cross paths eventually."

"I didn't take you as a destiny kind of person," Yugi said. His head buzzed, limbs heavy beneath him, and he glanced down at his empty cup. He probably shouldn't be drinking on an empty stomach. Yami held out his hand, and Yugi allowed him to fill it once more. One more wouldn't hurt – right?

"Why?" Yami asked him.

"Well," Yugi said, "I guess you've always seemed so logical to me. I've seen you duel a bunch of times, and your strategies are always so well executed – it's like you calculate every last move for every single possible scenario."

Yami's lips twitched. "I didn't know you were a fan."

Heat spread across Yugi's cheeks. "I didn't mean – you're just always on TV - that's all. It's impossible not to see you duel at some point if you live in Japan."

The older boy's smirk remained.

Yugi gulped down another swallow of wine, lifting his arm to rub the back of his neck. All the tension of the day had settled there, stiffening the muscles of his upper back so tight that even the wine hadn't helped loosen them. His thoughts drifted to the shower a few feet away. The hot water would do wonders.

"You're in pain," Yami said.

Glancing up, Yugi found the older boy watching him, his face creased in concern. Yugi dropped his arm. "Sorry – no, I'm fine!" he said. "My neck is just a little tight from today – nothing a good night's sleep won't cure."

"Come here," Yami said. He patted the space beside him on the sofa.

Yugi gave a fierce shake of his head, nearly spilling his wine down the front of himself. "Really, I'm fine!"

The look Yami gave him could have frozen the waters of hell. Yugi sighed, unfolding from his chair and depositing his cup on the coffee table. His head was spinning from the wine and as he reached the sofa, he flopped down as his legs crumpled beneath him. There was only a few inches between him and Yami, and he felt his heart begin to race as Yami met his eyes.

_You're acting like a teenager! _Yugi told himself. _Be professional!_

"Turn around," Yami said.

"What?"

"Turn around."

"I'm not – "

"Yugi."

Yugi sighed again, turning his back to the older boy. Why was he letting Yami bully him into doing everything he said? It wasn't like they were friends. Yugi didn't know anything about him other than he had been born in Egypt, was a gigantic pain in the behind, and pretty decent with a deck of cards. In fact, this entire situation was ridiculous and inappropriate. What had he been thinking letting Yami come into his room and open a bottle of –

A cringe worthy sigh escaped Yugi as Yami started to massage his shoulders. His entire body sagged as the older boy began to work the tension from under his skin, kneading the stiff muscles which fell pliant under his hands. Yugi's thoughts twisted into a giant pretzel, and he couldn't help the sharp intakes of breath coming from him as Yami's fingers continued like magic.

"This is – " Yugi said, biting down on his lip to keep himself from groaning as Yami's fingers dug further into his shoulders, " – totally inappropriate

"I feared you would snap in half with all of the tension that you are carrying," Yami said, his voice low as he leaned down to Yugi's ear. "What are you holding onto that is so troublesome?"

Yugi clenched his hands into fists as Yami hit a tight section, breath whooshing out of him as the knot loosened and an entire section of his back eased. "Well," Yugi said, trying to focus, "your stunt this morning shaved years off my life."

"I think this tension runs deeper than stress from the tournament," Yami said.

Yugi closed his eyes, trying to keep himself together as Yami's fingers drifted to his lower back, kneading the overworked band of muscle. "I don't know what you mean," Yugi said. Screw being a duelist, Yami could make millions as a masseuse - he'd reduced Yugi into a boneless puddle in less than five minutes.

"You're reluctant to trust me."

"I can't figure out what you're up to, mostly why you're interested in me," Yugi said, regretting the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Stupid wine.

Yami's fingers pressed on each side of Yugi's spine, the pressure relieving a ripple of tension that Yugi hadn't even realized had been there to begin with.

"I want you to trust me," Yami said.

"Why?" Yugi said, gulping down a breath as Yami worked another knot, his fingers playing between the dimples of his lower back. "What's the point of all of this?" Yugi forced himself to turn and, Yami's hands dropped to his lap as Yugi met his eyes. Facing him, Yugi felt his chest clench with embarrassment, some of the fog from the wine dissipating. Had he really just let Yami give him a _back massage_? He resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands. So much for being professional. He'd practically been drooling.

Scooting back a few inches, Yugi took a breath, clearing his head. He needed to get Yami out of his room, get in the shower and go to bed. "Look, I have a really early start tomorrow," he said. "So, I think you should probably – "

"I would like to see you tomorrow."

"You will see me," Yugi said, "at the tournament."

"And, afterwards?"

Yugi sighed, unfolding from the sofa and feeling more coherent with his legs under him and Yami's hands in his lap, far away from Yugi. "Our deal was only for tonight."

"Let's make a new deal."

Crossing his arms, Yugi stared down at the older boy. "What kind of deal?"

"I won't cause any trouble for you for the rest of the tournament, if you agree to spend time with me for the next two nights."

"How about the rest of _every _tournament?"

"Fine," Yami agreed.

"And you just want to hang out as friends?"

Yami shrugged.

"No trouble at all?"

Yami nodded.

"No calling me to your room or refusing to go out to your duels?"

"You have my word."

Yugi bit his lip. Another deal was a bad idea but, if it kept Yami from causing chaos for the rest of the forever then it was worth it. Yugi could walk the line between professional and personal. He just had to make sure he didn't get caught up in making anymore dumb decisions – like getting tipsy and letting Yami give him a back massage. First things first, no more alcohol in the older boy's presence. Second, no looking into his eyes – making extended eye contact was not helping the butterflies that kept exploding in his stomach. Third, no divulging anything too personal – light and airy topics only.

"Fine," Yugi said. "It's a deal."

Yami smirked, the slightest draw on his lips. He rose from the couch, a head taller than Yugi as he stood in front of him. They were close, less than a foot between them, and Yugi forced himself to stare to the left of the older boy's head rather than meet his eyes again. He took a step back, rounding around the coffee table and leading Yami to the door.

Yami's footsteps were slow as he followed and, Yugi jerked open the door, holding it open.

"Good night, Atemu-san."

"Yami," the older boy corrected.

"Good night, Yami," Yugi gritted out.

The older boy made a point to brush his hand down Yugi's arm as he passed, and a jolt of electricity singed through Yugi's fingers, his stomach clenching. "Good night, Yugi," Yami said, fingers cupping Yugi's elbow, squeezing for a moment, before he disappeared down the hall.

Yugi locked and chained the door before pressing his back against the cool wood. He slid down to the floor, flopping down on his butt as rested his head back against the door. This was not going to end well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Yugi cupped his tea.

The heat soaked through the china, warming his fingers. He took a sip, watching Yami over his cup. It had been another long day at the tournament and, his entire body was aching as he sat in the seating area of Yami's hotel room. True to his word, the duelist champion hadn't caused a squeak of trouble, showing up at his duels on time and only contacting Yugi with a note, delivered by Mana, asking him to meet him at his hotel room when he'd finished for the evening.

"Are you worried about the finals tomorrow?" Yugi said. Yami may have been content to sit in silence, but the quiet was driving him crazy.

Yami shrugged.

Grimacing, Yugi took another sip. Yami made him nervous, and sitting alone in his hotel room felt strangely intimate, a path that Yugi wouldn't even allow himself to consider. He was a professional, not some floozy fan girl ready to faint at his feet.

Yugi's stomach rumbled, lightheadedness a faint buzz in his head as he took another sip of tea. He was starving, having only choked down two leftover onigiri that he'd stashed in the mini-fridge for breakfast over twelve hours ago. He wondered how long it would take to extract himself without infringing on the terms of their deal so he could crawl down to his room and order some room service.

A knock sounded on the door, and Yami rose from his chair to answer it. Yugi slumped back against the couch, staring out the windows that stretched the length of the living room. The room was laid out similar to Yugi's, but the executive suite was decorated for a higher class of client, the waxed wood floors gleaming in the light of the fireplace that crackled across from the seating area. Even the chairs seemed more comfortable, Yugi decided, sinking back into the plush cushions but forcing himself to keep his eyelids open. Falling asleep was definitely not professional.

"Here is fine," Yami said.

Yugi turned, spotting a bellboy with a beard stuffing a tip in his pocket, bowing deep to Yami before excusing himself from the room.

"Food…" Yugi said, practically drooling as the scent from the plates on the cart hit him full force. "You ordered food." He scrambled off the couch, depositing his tea cup on the end table. He trailed Yami like a dog begging for scraps as the older boy wheeled the cart to the table. Yugi could have collapsed as Yami uncovered the first dish.

"Miso," Yugi breathed, his stomach grumbling as Yami uncovered the rest of the meal, revealing a plate of sashimi and tempura.

"If I had known that you were so agreeable to miso, I would have ordered extra."

Yugi heard the smile in his voice, but he didn't care. All he cared about was getting food in his stomach – now. Professional was going to have to hold on a second. He was freaking hungry.

"Were you planning to share?" Yugi said. _Please say yes._

"I fear that if I don't, you will collapse at my feet in starvation any moment," Yami said. He began to transfer the dishes to the table, and Yugi watched the plates as if they were bars of gold. Yami turned to him, an eyebrow arching. "Sit, Yugi. The meal is yours. I ate before you arrived."

Yugi paused. "You got all of this for me?"

Yami nodded.

"Thank you," Yugi said, guilt twisting in his gut. Yami actually wasn't so bad when he wasn't forcing him to run around arenas, jumping through hoops just to get him out on the field. Was this the side of him that his team was always raving about? Yugi skirted the table, taking a seat, and accepting the plate that Yami handed him. "You're really not going to eat anything?"

The older boy shook his head, and Yugi took the miso, his eyes practically rolling up in his head as he downed the first spoonful.

"This is the best soup I've ever had in my entire life."

"High praise."

"I was really hungry."

"You shouldn't go so long between meals," Yami said, his voice hardening as if half torn between issuing an order or offering a helpful suggestion. "Twelve hours without eating will only drain your energy."

Yugi drained the rest of the miso, eyebrows tugging together in confusion. "How would you know – ?" He realized the answer as soon as it left his lips. "Mana." His nineteen-year-old staff member was spunky and smart as a whip but, she loved to fuss over him, particularly about his refusal to force food down his throat while his stomach was churning with the stress of a tournament. Yugi had assigned her to escort Yami to and from duels all day and, knowing the duelist's champion's increasing interest in him, she'd probably spent every moment giving Yami every piece of information about him that he'd asked for.

"She knows you well."

"It's kind of crazy how good she is at keeping everyone in line - even me," Yugi said. He smiled, taking the first bite of tempura, swearing that he had never tasted anything so delicious. He loved tempura. He loved the flavor, the texture, that first satisfying crunch through the breading. Thinking of it, he also loved miso…and sashimi.

"Did Mana tell you what I like to eat?"

Yami offered him a small smile.

Shaking his head, Yugi made a note to remind his staff that distributing personal information to the duelists was strictly prohibited.

"So, do you plan to stay long in Okayama?" Yugi said.

"I leave Monday morning."

"And, you'll go home to where? Tokyo?"

"Ozu," Yami corrected.

Yugi paused. "Really? I live in Domino. Ozu is only like a thirty minute train ride from me." He took another bite of sashimi, considering. "Hey, maybe we've crossed paths before and didn't even know it."

"Trust me," Yami said. He leaned forward, hands resting on the table. His caught Yugi's eyes. "If we had met, I would have remembered."

A flush crept up Yugi's neck, bursting across his cheeks. _Extended eye contact is against the rules! _He couldn't look away. Yami reached across the table, his thumb brushing over the back of Yugi's hand before curling his fingers around his. A shiver trembled down Yugi's back, electricity sparking under his skin with each gentle sweep of Yami's thumb. His heart was pounding in his chest, trapped in the older boy's stare. Yugi wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

His fork clattered to his plate.

Yugi jerked back, the spell broken. His hands shook as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. Swallowing, he tried to steady himself. The second Yami had touched him, it was like he'd forgotten how to breathe. His stomach was clenching, heart racing. Yami was attractive, any person with eyes could see that, but Yugi had never felt such an intense reaction to someone he barely knew with such a brief brush of skin. Yugi sucked down a breath.

"Are you alright?" Yami said.

"Huh?" Yugi said. "I mean, yes, I am fine." _Except for the fact that a second ago I was about to lunge across the table to make out with you but, yeah – no problems on my end. _"I'm – uh – full though." Yugi shot up out of his chair, hands still shaking. "I should go."

Yami didn't move.

Yugi had to leave. He couldn't breathe. The air had suddenly become thick, the force of Yami's stare driving the breath from his lungs.

This whole deal was a bad idea. He couldn't get involved with a duelist – especially not the King of Freaking Games! What had he been thinking? He was so much smarter than this and yet somehow he found himself dangling on the edge of a cliff, jeopardizing his professional integrity and his career for what? So that Yami could work out whatever fascination he had with him and then move on to the next person who caught his eye? No – not happening.

Yugi took a breath. "I apologize, Atemu-san," he said. "I have to go."

"You wish to forfeit the terms of our deal?"

"I'm sorry," Yugi said, refusing to look at him. "Thank you for dinner." Before he could change his mind, he spun on his heel, walking to the front door and stepping outside. The bright florescent lights of the hallway were blinding as he shut the door behind him. His pace was quick as he walked to the elevators, punching the call button and rocking back on his heels.

It was only after he was back in his room that released the breath he'd been holding.

* * *

Yugi hung up his cellphone.

The tournament champion finals were due to begin in an hour, and he'd just received a phone call from his boss letting him know how much she was looking forward to the final duel between Yami and his competitor, praising him on the tournament's success so far. Yugi shoved his phone in his pocket, his stomach turning with nerves. He'd spent half the night awake and staring at the ceiling, refusing to let his thoughts wonder to a certain duelist champion and instead running through every single task he had to do before wrapping up the tournament.

"Mutou-sama!"

Yugi turned, finding Mana sprinting towards him, her ponytail whipping behind her. She slid to a stop in front of him, face flushed and panting.

"What's wrong?" Yugi said, mind whipping through the number of things that could need immediate attention. _Please don't be Yami. Please don't be Yami._

Mana shook her head, catching her breath. "Atemu-san wishes to speak with you."

_Ughhhhh. _Yugi grimaced. "Did he say it was urgent?"

"No, sir but –"

"Then, it'll have to wait," Yugi said.

"But, sir!"

"What?"

"He's not here!"

Yugi froze. "What?"

"I couldn't find him in his room so, I called him and, he said he wouldn't speak to anyone but you."

"So, where is he?" Yugi said, voice echoing down the hall. He was yelling. He never yelled. Yami had officially exhausted every bit of his patience. He took a breath, forcing himself uncoil.

"I don't know, sir," Mana said. She dug out a piece of paper from the pocket of her jeans. "He gave me this number for you to call him."

Yugi took the paper, resisting the urge to crumple it in his hand. "Thank you, Mana." She was biting her lip, eyes wide. Yugi forced himself to relax, giving her a smile. "Everything will be fine. I'll deal with it. Just go and check on Haga-san for me."

Mana nodded, offering a salute. "I'm on it!" She took off, jogging down the hall before disappearing around the corner.

Yugi yanked out his phone, punching in the number. He paced the hall as it rang. After the second ring, Yami picked up.

"Yugi," he greeted.

"Hello," Yugi said. He kept his voice calm._ Professional, be professional._ "Mana said you aren't here?"

"I wanted to speak with you."

"About what?"

"About last night."

Yugi cringed. "What about it?"

"You ran out."

"I was – tired."

"You were distraught."

Yugi sighed, exasperated. "Where are you, Atemu-san? Your duel starts in less than an hour."

"Behind you."

Whipping around, Yugi almost collapsed the floor. He was here. Yami Atemu was here. Yugi wasn't going to lose his job. The tournament wasn't going to fail. Relief rushed over him. Hanging up his phone, he watched Yami stride down the hall, tucking his own phone back into his pocket.

"Why did you have me call you if you were already in the building?" Yugi said, leashing the frustration that only continued to ratchet in intensity now that the older boy was standing in front of him.

"I knew you would avoid me otherwise."

_Touché. _"You sure seem to know a lot about me considering I don't know anything about you," Yugi said. His grip on his composure was slipping, irritation worming through the cracks.

"What do you wish to know?"

"Why are you so set on getting to know me?"

"There is a connection between us," Yami said. He watched him, hands in his pockets. "I felt it the first moment I saw you."

Yugi dropped his gaze to the floor.

"I don't believe you realized the extent of that connection until last night," Yami continued, "and, you believe distancing yourself from me will stall any progression of your feelings."

_Do not look up at him. _"That's not - "

Yami stepped closer, less than a foot away, and Yugi couldn't move. "Why did you leave last night?"

Yugi's heart was pounding faster and faster. "I was – " The rest of the sentence evaporated from his head as Yami shifted, leaving only inches between them.

"Was?" Yami prompted.

"I was tired," Yugi choked out.

Yami lifted his hand, trailing down the side of Yugi's face before urging his chin up, forcing him to meet his eyes. They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other, and Yugi forced himself to keep breathing. If either of them leaned forward a few more inches...

"Our deal isn't finished," Yami said.

Yugi blinked, replaying the sentence in his head. "What?"

"Meet me in the hotel lobby at six o'clock." Yami released him, and Yugi stumbled back, released from whatever spell he'd been under. The older boy gave him one last look, turning and walking back down the hallway.

"Hey!" Yugi said, recovering his voice. "Where are you going?"

"I have a duel."

Yugi rubbed his temples. He had a headache.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

The shot of shochu burned down Yugi's throat.

He was in total violation of rule number one – no alcohol in Yami's presence – but, he hadn't exactly expected to find himself standing with the duelist champion in the middle of a rundown bar in Okayama on a bar crawl with the rest of his team. The shots had come compliments of Mana and, she winked at Yugi from a few feet away as he glared at her. His head was buzzing as he slammed down the glass, slightly swaying and his cheeks warm as Yami's hand settled on his shoulder.

"Would you like to sit?" Yami said, voice raised over the noise of the crowd packed around the bar top.

Yugi nodded.

He'd been waiting in the hotel lobby when Yami announced their plans for the evening. Apparently, Yugi's staff had invited the tournament champion along to their celebratory bar crawl. Exhausted, Yugi hadn't planned on going at all but, after stopping for dinner beforehand, Yami had announced that since Yugi had cut out on him early the night before, attendance would satisfy the original terms of their agreement.

After two drinks and the shot he'd just downed, Yugi was nearing the fine line between buzzed and toasted.

His face flamed as Yami's hand slid down his arm, locking their fingers together before pulling him out of the crowd and to an empty table. The bar was a greasy sort of place, lit by the glow of neon signs lining the walls and smelled of the cigarette smoke that rose to the ceiling in a grey haze. Yami released him, and Yugi flopped into a chair, the alcohol loosening his grip on his anxiety as he met the older boy's stare.

"Are you happy to be going home tomorrow?" Yugi said.

"Not particularly," Yami said. "I enjoy spending time with you."

"I liked it too," Yugi said, realizing the mistake as soon as he'd said it. He backtracked. "Professionally, of course."

Yami's mouth quirked with a smile. "Of course."

"Are you really not going to cause any trouble for me now that our deal is done?" Yugi said.

"I gave you my word."

"I don't know what I'll do with all the free time when I don't have to chase you around each tournament," Yugi said.

"I would like to continue to see you," Yami said, "outside of work."

Yugi sputtered. "Our deal was only for this weekend!"

"Would you be opposed to seeing me again?" Yami said.

Yugi frowned. "I like my job, and I don't want to screw it up by getting too personal," he said. "I mean, if you just want to be friends then – "

"I will agree to this condition," Yami said. "Temporarily."

Yugi didn't like where this was going. "Temporarily?"

"In one month, I will ask you to reconsider."

"Reconsider what?" Yugi said, confused.

"Moving past friendship."

"And if I don't change my mind?" Yugi said.

"Then, I will accept your decision."

_Fat chance_. Yugi wasn't dumb. Yami didn't like to lose, he had the title to prove that, and he certainly didn't seem like the type to give up.

"So, you're telling me," Yugi said, "that if after one month of us hanging out, I decide that I want to stay just friends – you'll drop the whole thing?"

Yami nodded.

Yugi frowned. "I don't believe you."

Now, Yami was frowning. "Have I broken your trust yet?"

"Well, no – "

"Then, you should have no concerns that I would break our agreement," Yami said. He watched him, eyes meeting his. "Unless, perhaps, you _are _worried that you will change your mind."

"You're trying to manipulate me," Yugi said.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Yami's mouth.

"And, I'm kind of drunk," Yugi said, "which makes it double manipulative."

"I will not go back on my word," Yami said.

And the thing was, Yugi knew he was telling the truth. The older boy was direct and intense and, every time Yugi found himself in his presence, every reasonable thought seemed to fly out of his head but, he couldn't deny that Yami had never lied to him. Every logical part of him was screaming at him to say no, get up, walk out but, his gut twisted at the thought. Part of him, the stupid, unreasonable, part, wasn't ready to let go of Yami Atemu – not yet.

"Okay," Yugi said.

"Okay?"

"We can be friends."

Yami smiled, a full stretch of his lips.

"But I'm telling you, I won't change my mind," Yugi said.

Yami's smile didn't fade.

* * *

Yugi had just finished unpacking when he heard the knock at the door.

He had been home for a few hours, but despite his nap on the train, he was half-blind with exhaustion as he opened the front door of his apartment, revealing a friendly face. Ryuji was leaning against the doorframe, dark hair hanging in his eyes and a smile stretched across his face. He was an artist, tall and lanky, with eyes saturated with green and sculpted cheekbones that made most women (and men) swoon at the sight of him

"Hey!" Ryuji said. He unfolded from the door frame and ducking down, he pressed a kiss to his lips. "How was the tournament?"

Yugi gestured him inside. His tiny one bedroom was in a quiet corner of Domino, the creaky wood floors and second-hand furniture having seen better days, but it had been his home since his grandfather's death. Yugi had moved in a few years ago, after selling the game shop and connected apartment where he'd grown up to pay off his grandfather's remaining medical bills and his own university loans. The little he'd been left with had been enough to pay rent until he found a job and even after he'd started making enough to afford a bigger place, he'd stayed, long used to calling the cramped space his own.

"The tournament went really well," Yugi said. He flopped back onto the sofa. "And, I've got a little bit of a break before the next one so I'll be around town for a few weeks."

Ryuji sat next to him, arm sliding over the back of the couch to rest above Yugi's head. "Did that duelist guy give you any trouble?"

"Atemu-san?" Yugi said. It probably was best not to get into details. "No, he wasn't bad. Actually, I talked to him a bit and, he lives close by, in Ozu."

"I thought he drove you crazy?" Ryuji said, turning to face him.

"Well," Yugi said, shrugging. "He wasn't so bad this time. I don't know. I might even hang out with him while I'm home."

Ryuji frowned. "Hang out?"

"Yeah," Yugi said, shrugging. "He was hanging out with me and the rest of the team last night and, we had fun. I mean, I told him that I was only interested in being friends."

Ryuji sighed. "Yugi."

"What?"

"You are totally clueless sometimes," Ryuji said, shaking his head. "He's probably into you."

"I told him that I just wanted to be friends!" Yugi said. "He said that was fine."

"Look, Yug – I know these kinds of guys," Ryuji said. "They act like they just want to be friends, fine with having boundaries, whatever, but they're only interested in the end game. Then, they wash their hands and start all over with someone else."

"I don't think that Atemu-san – "

"Trust me," Ryuji said. He took Yugi's hand, meeting his eyes. "You don't want to get involved with someone who is used to getting everything he wants. I mean, come on – he's a celebrity."

Yugi couldn't help but notice how different it felt with Ryuji's hand in his. When Yami had touched him, every nerve ending in his body had stood to attention. _Stop comparing them_, he told himself._ You like Ryuji – he's cute and nice, and he looks out for you. He's perfect, exactly the kind of guy you need._

"I'll be careful," Yugi said, "Besides, we may not even hang out. Like you said, he's famous and, I'm sure he's busy. He probably already forgot all about me."

Ryuji smiled. "Good." He leaned forward, kissing Yugi's cheek. "Now, how about we go get something to eat? I'm totally starving."

"Sure," Yugi said. Ryuji's fingers slipped from his, and Yugi stayed on the couch for a moment longer. Yami had been nothing but a gentleman when he'd taken him back to the hotel the night before. He had been half tipsy but, Yami had only helped him inside and then left for his own suite, telling him that he would see him soon. How soon, Yugi wasn't sure.

Yugi knew Ryuji had made a good point. He did need to be careful around Yami. After all, the older boy had made it clear that he was seeking more than just his friendship, and Yugi liked Ryuji. He was a good guy, and Yugi hadn't been lying when he told Yami he could see himself falling for him. The sparks he'd felt with Yami had probably been just a fluke, a result of a confident, hot guy wanting to get to know him and nothing more.

Yugi got up from the sofa, joining Ryuji at the door. Locking up, they descended the stairs, Ryuji taking his hand as the pressed out onto the street. The air was freezing with the nip of winter but, there was a crowd gathered outside of the building, a strange sight considering the street didn't get much foot traffic.

"They were here when I came up," Ryuji said as the door swung closed behind them. "I have no idea what they are doing."

They walked down the front steps, and a few of the crowd turned to face them. Almost all of them were holding cameras in their hands, their breath coming out in a white clouds in front of their faces as they stomped their feet against the chill.

"Yugi Mutou?" one of the men in the group asked.

"Yes?" Yugi said. He paused, Ryuji beside him. "Can I help you?"

The man lifted his camera, the shutter clicking and flash firing as he took a series of pictures. Yugi blinked away the stars blooming in front of his pupils.

"Hey!" Ryuji said. "What do you think you're doing?"

Yugi squinted, trying to see through the chorus of flashes that were blasting in front of him.

"Is it true that you and Yami Atemu are involved?" someone said. The questions kept coming. "When did the romance start, Mr. Mutou?" "Does your boyfriend know about your affair with the King of Games?" "Where did you meet?" "How old are you?" "Are you in love with him?"

Ryuji had his hand clamped around Yugi's wrist, dragging him away from the crowd, and Yugi stumbled behind, still half blind. Ryuji was walking fast, and he was almost jogging to keep pace. When they reached the corner, the photographers out of sight, Ryuji rounded on him.

"What the hell was that about?" Ryuji said. He wasn't yelling but, his voice was as tight as his posture.

"I don't know!" Yugi said. "I have no idea what they were talking about. We just talked and hung out. It was no big deal!"

"Then why were those reporters waiting outside of your building?"

"I really don't know!" Yugi said. "Ryuji, listen – nothing happened between me and Yami Atemu! He was causing trouble for me at the duels so, I hung out with him so he would cut it out."

Ryuji looked unconvinced.

"Nothing happened!" Yugi said. "I promise! Don't you trust me?"

Ryuji rubbed his hand down his face, a long sigh escaping him. After a moment, he looked up. "You should stay with me tonight," he said, voice flat. "It'll probably take a few days for the reporters to lose interest and leave you alone."

"I'm sorry," Yugi said. "I didn't know that anyone would care that I hung out with him – "

"You know it's only going to get worse if you hang out with him again," Ryuji said. He shook his head. "I know you said you might but, it's only going to stir up more shit if people see you spending more time together."

Yugi was quiet.

"I mean it, Yug," Ryuji said. "You can't hang out with him anymore unless you want to spend the next few months with those guys following you around." He jerked his thumb back towards the photographers. "Is that what you want?"

"No," Yugi said. "Definitely not."

"Then if he tries to get in contact with you again, you just have to blow him off," Ryuji said.

Yugi could have kicked himself for the disappointment that flooded him. It wasn't that big of a deal. It wasn't like Yami was going to want to stick around just to be his friend anyway. Besides, being around Yami only confused him, scrambling his brain every time the older boy's eyes leveled on him. It was probably best just to cut things off before they became more of a problem.

"I'm sure he won't contact me," Yugi said. "But, you're right. It would be a bad idea to hang out with him again."

Ryuji's hand tightened around his.

Yugi let him tug him down the street, the flash of the cameras still imprinted on his pupils, his stomach twisting as he tried to convince himself that spending any more time with Yami was not worth the trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Yugi was in a funk.

His head was pounding as he made his way to the elevators, the weight of his laptop bag dragging on his shoulders as he tried to stretch his neck. He had been in a meeting with his boss for the past few hours, rehashing the tournament and receiving his assignment for the next competition in two months. The day had gone well but for some reason, he couldn't shake the dark cloud that had been following him since his morning alarm.

The elevator doors parted and, Yugi stepped inside, finding space behind two business men discussing the rising cost of public transportation. His thoughts wondered as the floors ticked up. It had been four days since he'd last seen Yami and two days ago, the reporters had dispersed from outside his apartment building, a relief considering that with the amount of travel he did, sleeping in his actual bed had become a precious commodity. It wasn't helping that he'd been exhausted ever since the tournament, his energy evaporating no matter how much he slept.

Yugi skirted around the business men as he exited, walking down the hall and towards the office space he and his team used. The office was bound to be empty, having given his team a few days off to recover, but he wanted to file away some of his notes before heading home. He was meeting Ryuji for dinner, and he didn't have much time to get home, changed, and across town to Ryuji's apartment.

Flipping on the lights, Yugi walked past the row of cubicles his team used before nearing his office. The door was slightly ajar, and Yugi frowned. He could have sworn he'd closed it behind him when he'd left for his meeting. He pushed inside.

His heart flew into his throat as he noticed someone sitting at his desk. The chair turned as the door banged into the wall, revealing a familiar face.

"Atemu-san!" Yugi said. He clutched his chest, heart racing as he stared at the duelist champion. "What in the world are you doing here?"

Yugi's office was a small, squat room with a window opening to the building next door. Papers were piled up in his inbox, a wilting plant sitting on the corner of his desk, and the shelves of his bookcase bending under the weight of the binders packed on top.

"I wanted to see you," Yami said.

"How did you get up here?"

"The security staff directed me," Yami said. "Apparently, they are fans of mine."

Yugi crossed his arms.

"You're upset," Yami said, dropping his smirk as his eyebrows drew together.

"There have been reporters outside of my apartment ever since I got back."

Yami frowned.

"They've been posting pictures of me and you all over the internet, trying to make it look like we're together!" Yugi said.

"The media has always been captivated with my love life," Yami said, shrugging a shoulder.

"We aren't dating!"

"Pairing me off with someone I'm seen in public with is a sure way to sell news."

Yugi sighed.

"I didn't realize you would be so upset by it," Yami said.

"It really bothers Ryuji."

Yami's face didn't so much as twitch, but his eyes darkened. "Ah, Ryuji."

"He's a good guy, and I'm really trying not to screw it up," Yugi said.

"By being seen with me?"

"We only just started dating," Yugi said. "I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

"Perhaps if I met him – "

"No," Yugi said.

"Are you worried that I will scare him off?"

Yugi ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Why are you here, Atemu-san?"

"I had a meeting with Pegasus," Yami said.

"I didn't know you and Crawford-sama knew each other," Yugi said, though it didn't surprise him that the King of Games and poster child of Duel Monsters was chummy with the Industrial Illusions CEO.

"We share common interests," Yami said, "especially those pertaining to the Millennium Items."

Yugi stopped himself from rolling his eyes. The Millennium Items had always been rumored to have mystical properties, a legend based in ancient Egyptian folklore. Much of the inspiration for Duel Monsters had been based on the items, and Pegasus, the creator of the game, was a full hearted believer in the magic. He'd even had his right eye, unseeing since birth, replaced by a golden eye rumored to be the Millennium Eye.

The office rumor mill was always buzzing with employees swearing that Pegasus could read minds, but Yugi didn't believe a word of it. He'd never met the Industrial Illusions CEO but from what he understood about him, the older man was a showman. He had probably started the rumors himself just to stir the pot.

"Don't tell me you believe in magic?" Yugi said. He pulled out one of the chairs in front of his desk, taking a seat and instantly regretting it. Yami was taller than him and even while sitting, those few extra inches gave him the perfect opportunity to loom over him.

"Perhaps," Yami said, a small smile curling on his lips. "Pegasus and I have known each other for many years. His wife was my tutor when I was growing up."

"Really?" Yugi said.

Pegasus and his wife, Cyndia were famous for their head over heels love story. It was a tale documented over and over again in the media, and it seemed almost unreal how delirious in love they still acted after fifteen years of marriage.

"Are they really as in love as everyone says?"

Yami's eyes locked on his. "They are two parts of one soul."

"Jeez," Yugi said. "That sounds pretty intense."

"Have you ever been in love, Yugi?" Yami said.

"Uh," Yugi said. This conversation was getting way off track and in dangerous violation of rule three – light and airy topics only. "Well, no – but, I've never been great with that kind of stuff."

"What 'kind of stuff' are you referring to?"

"You know, I don't think it is appropriate – "

"Yugi," Yami said.

Yugi sighed. "I'm just not so great at connecting with the people I date," he said. "I've dated plenty of guys and, it always feels like there is something missing."

Yami was quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"It's dumb," Yugi said, shaking his head. "I think I'm just setting the bar way too high."

"Or perhaps, you are waiting for the person who will complete you," Yami said.

They stared at each other for a moment, and a familiar flutter of butterflies flooded Yugi, his mouth suddenly dry. He forced himself to look away, glancing down at his watch. Twenty minutes had passed.

"Crap!" Yugi said, shooting up from his chair. "I have to go! I told Ryuji I would meet him for dinner."

"I would like you to come visit me in Ozu," Yami said, not moving from his chair. "That is why I came to speak with you. You have a break between now and your next tournament, correct?"

"Well, yes – "

"Then, I would like you to come visit me."

"Don't you have reporters camped out in front of your house?"

"I use the private entrance of the building. The media is not permitted there," Yami said.

"I am off on Saturday – "

"Then, I will see you on Saturday," Yami said. He stood from behind Yugi's desk. Pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket, he handed it to Yugi, an address scrawled on the back. "Does noon work for you?"

Yugi nodded, refusing to acknowledge the excitement that fluttered in his chest as he slid the paper into his pocket. Yami's fingers brushed his shoulder as he exited, disappearing down the hall. Sorting through his things, Yugi pulled out his notes. He was going to have to file them at warp speed to meet Ryuji in time.

After a few minutes, he found himself humming and, he realized that his bad mood had evaporated entirely.

* * *

Yugi clutched the piece of paper in his hand.

He stared at Yami's handwriting, tracing the numbers for the thousandth time as he approached the duelist king's building. A cold, grey sky stretched above him, clouds fat with rain as he crossed the street. The streets were packed with the Saturday rush, pedestrians skirting the puddles that had grown into small lakes after the third day of downpour.

Yugi reached Yami's building, following his direction to cut down a side street to use the private entrance. He searched for any sign of reporters but, all he could see were rain jackets and umbrella concealed faces. After a few moments, he slipped into the building, collapsing his umbrella as he stepped inside.

He gave his ID to a long faced man at the security desk, who checked on his computer before pointing Yugi to the elevator. It took almost a minute to reach the 42nd floor, his foot tapping a nervous beat on the waxed tile. When the doors parted, Yugi stepped out into the foyer, approaching the front door, the only door. Apparently, Yami owned the entire level. Yugi raised his fist to knock and froze, unable to rotate his wrist a few extra inches.

_Stop being a baby_, he told himself. There was no reason to be nervous. Yami had invited him. He was going to go inside, hang out, and then leave in time to be back in Domino before dark. No big deal. Friends did this all the time.

The knock seemed to reverberate down his entire arm, and he swallowed the lump in his throat as he heard the soft click of a lock before the door swung open, revealing Yami's frame.

"Hi," Yugi said. Every bit of nervous energy in his body flooded to the surface as he met the older boy's eyes.

"You're wet," Yami said, eyes trailing down the front of him.

"Huh?" Yugi said. He glanced down, finding his pants rain spattered, droplets dripping down the tails of his jacket. "I guess I didn't realize it was raining so hard. I was going to take a cab but, your building was only two blocks from the station so, I walked." Plus, he'd been hoping the walk would burn off some of the nervous energy that had been twisting his stomach for the past few hours.

"Come inside," Yami said.

Yugi followed, easing off his damp shoes and handing off his jacket and umbrella to Yami. The older boy led him further into the apartment, revealing an open floor plan framed by terra cotta painted walls and light wood floors that reflected the daylight coming from the windows spanning the walls. The view opened to the staggered buildings of the Ozu skyline, rain droplets spattered across the glass.

Yami's hand settled on his lower back as he looked down at him, and Yugi realized he'd stopped in the middle of the hall.

"Sorry," Yugi said. "Your apartment is really nice." He was still for a moment, the heat from Yami's hand seeping through his shirt as Yugi considered the complete and utter calm that flooded through him. He felt safe in Yami's house. Yugi forced himself to move forward, the feeling fading. _No touching, definitely no touching._

Yami led him the rest of the way to the living room, gesturing Yugi to the couch as he went to make tea. Yugi sunk back against the plush cushions, forcing himself to sit straight instead of lounging back. He watched the rain spatter against the window, mind wondering. He hadn't told Ryuji he was coming.

Every part of him knew it was wrong to keep such a secret from him but, every time he'd tried to bring it up, he stopped himself. It would have only led to an argument, and Yugi knew he had no rational reason for being in Yami Atemu's apartment. He'd spent the last twenty four hours trying to come up with something, any tiny, rational justification for the visit, and he'd come up blank. His heart, however, had been determined to make the trip.

"Are you alright?" Yami said.

Yugi looked up, accepting the cup of tea from the older boy. "Yeah," he said. "I was spacing out."

Yami took a seat next to him, leaving a respectable amount of distance between them. "Would you like to discuss it?"

Glancing into the depths of his tea, Yugi rallied his courage. "Do you remember at the tournament when we – when you were talking about a connection between us?" Yugi said, fiddling with the handle of his mug. "I was wondering what exactly you meant by that." He chanced a glance at the older boy, finding his gaze focused on him.

Yami set down his cup on the coffee table, shifting closer. He reached out, the movement slow, giving him time to pull away, before taking Yugi's free hand. His fingers curled around Yugi's, the warmth eclipsing his hand and soaking into his skin, renewing the sense of calm that had overcome him a few minutes earlier.

"What are you doing?" Yugi said. His eyelids were suddenly heavier, body wilting with the exhaustion that he'd been carrying for the past week. Even the tea cup clutched in his hand felt heavy.

"Answering your question," Yami said.

"Oh," Yugi said, his mind emptying. "I don't understand."

"The situation is a complicated one," Yami said.

Yugi was quiet, content to sit in the peace for just a few more minutes, the calm easing every anxious thought from his head.

"You're exhausted," Yami said, watching him.

Yugi looked at him, eyelids growing heavier the longer they sat.

Yami eased the mug from Yugi's hand, leaning over to deposit it on the coffee table without breaking contact. He leaned back against the sofa, his fingers trailing up Yugi's arm to wrap his fingers around his bicep. Yami tugged him towards him with a light pull, but Yugi didn't move. _You're not supposed to be touching him_, he reminded himself, but the protest was only a whisper. Yami gave him a small smile, eyes finding his, and Yugi folded as the older boy pulled again.

Every muscle in his body was lax as he settled against Yami's side. The older boy's arm wrapped around his shoulders, their legs brushing as Yugi rested his head back on Yami's shoulder. He was running on fumes, eyes fluttering as he struggled to stay awake.

"I'm tired," Yugi said.

Yami's arm tightened around him, drawing him closer. "Sleep then."

"It's not professional."

"It will remain our secret."

Yami was warm next to him, banishing the chill of the winter rain battering against the windows, his fingers taking his hand. Yugi had never felt like this before. It was like every bad thought had been sucked out of him - every worry, every fear dissipating the moment Yami had touched him.

Closing his eyes, Yugi could feel his breath evening, the darkness of dreamland reaching for him, dragging him under as he gave into Yami's hold.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Yugi was having a nice dream.

He was sitting on the couch with someone, tucked against the boy's side, an arm wrapped around him, keeping him close. The boy was warm, Yugi's own private heater as he snuggled closer. He was still so tired, and he never wanted to move from this place. He had never felt like this before, so safe, warm, _right_.

Rain tapped against the window, and Yugi remembered his trudge to Yami's apartment through the downpour. The rain had been freezing, borderline sleet, as he'd made the trek to the duelist king's apartment after the thirty minute train ride to Ozu. Yami had invited him in and, they'd sat on the couch, and then…

_Crap_.

Yugi opened his eyes, finding terra cotta walls and grey daylight filtering through the windows. Beside him, Yami was still, his breathing steady with each rise and fall of his chest. Yugi looked down at their interlocked fingers. He had fallen asleep snuggled up to Yami Atemu's side. This wasn't a dream – it was a professional nightmare.

He shifted, glancing down at his watch. He'd been asleep for three hours. The lethargy clung to him as he tried to wake up, ignoring the large part of him that demanded he close his eyes and just go back to sleep. It had been days since he'd gotten a decent night's rest and yet, he'd been out like a light the minute he'd settled into Yami's hold.

"You're awake," Yami said, voice groggy.

Yugi stiffened. "I am so sorry," he said, mortified. He untangled himself from the older boy, shifting farther down the couch. Cheeks hot, he couldn't bring himself to meet Yami's eyes, staring down at his clasped fingers.

A shiver raced down his spine as Yami hand covered his. Yugi raised his eyes, blush burning as he met a pair of bleary crimson.

"Your apology is unnecessary," Yami said.

"I shouldn't have – " Yugi said, flailing. He took a breath, squaring his shoulders. "I am usually not like this, I swear."

Yami looked at him.

"In fact, I'm never like this," Yugi continued. _And, I have no idea why I keep making such an idiot of myself in front of you._ He rubbed his eyes, frustrated.

"Yugi."

Yugi looked up, meeting Yami's eyes.

"I'd like to show you something," Yami said.

Yugi blinked at the turn in conversation. "What is it?"

Yami stood, waiting for Yugi to follow, and started down the hall. They walked for a moment, passing a few rooms before stopping in front of a closed door. Yami swung inside, revealing a home office. The room was spotless, not a stray paper or book in sight, and lit by a series of narrow windows running the length of the far wall.

"I spoke of the Millennium Items during our conversation earlier this week," Yami said. He walked across the room, approaching a wooden cabinet tucked to the side. "What do you know of them?"

Yugi shrugged. "Not much," he said. "My grandfather spent awhile as an archeologist in Egypt before I was born so, he told me a few of the legends when I was growing up."

Pulling open the cabinet doors, Yami removed a golden box with the Millennium Eye emblazoned across the front. Yami gestured for Yugi to join him as he placed the box on the desk. He held out the desk chair, and Yugi took the seat, examining the box in front of him.

Yami pulled up a chair beside him, leaning back as he sat. "The puzzle pieces inside of this box are rumored to be the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle." Yami looked at him, waiting.

The silence spanned a few seconds and, Yugi cleared his throat. "Do you want me to open it?"

Yami nodded.

The moment Yugi touched the box, a shiver rolled down his back. The surface was cold, the metal slick with a texture that could only be the result of pure gold. Fingers curling around the lid, Yugi tugged. It took a bit of arm strength to muscle the cover free, and as he deposited it to the side, Yugi stared down into a box full of glittering gold pieces.

"Holy crap," Yugi said. "Is this entire box full of solid gold?"

"Yes," Yami said. "However, the pieces are said to be worthless to anyone but the pharaoh's hikari."

"Who?" Yugi said, eyebrows coming together. He'd never remembered his grandfather using the term.

Yami straightened in his chair. "The Millennium Items were born of the blackest of magic, and only a few, born with shadows in their blood, could channel the darkness in the Items. These souls were limitless in their power, and unimpeded they raged chaos in the universe," he said. "That is until, the seven hikaris were born. Born of the light, the hikaris were fated to each of the Millennium Items as a safeguard to the darkness within the dark souls who wielded them."

Yugi frowned. "I don't know if I believe that."

"Most legends are born of some truth."

Yugi shook his head. He picked up one of the puzzle pieces, rolling the gold in his hand. Goose bumps raised on his arms as he ran his fingers over the surface of the piece. Placing it back in the box, he scooted back his chair, fingers tingling. The box unsettled him.

"Have you ever tried to put it together?" Yugi said.

Yami shook his head.

"Well, you should. You never know," Yugi said, smiling, "you might be this hikari person." His smile faded as Yami remained quiet, face drawn. "Hey, I mean – I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. How long have you had it?"

"It was given to me at birth."

"And you've never tried to put it together?"

Yami locked eyes with him. "It wasn't meant for me to complete."

_Okay then. _"Well, maybe you could have someone else try it out."

Yami nodded. "I would like you to take it."

"Me?" Yugi said, eyes growing wide. "Why me?"

"It would be of interest to me to see how far you progress with it. You mentioned that you have a skill with puzzles."

"But," Yugi said. "This set must be really valuable."

"It would be a favor to me," Yami said.

Yugi sat back in his chair, considering the box in front him. He had been fascinated by puzzles as a child, and his grandfather had fed his obsession by giving him different puzzles from the different cultures he had explored before his retirement. Yugi would probably have a good chance of figuring out the puzzle in front of him but, there had to be more than a hundred pieces inside. It could take him months to piece the entire thing together.

"It would probably take me a long time," Yugi said, "and I may never be able to finish it."

"Take it," Yami said. "It will be much better in your possession."

"You're sure?"

Yami nodded.

"I'm not making any promises that I can finish it."

Yami nodded again.

Yugi bit his lip. "Alright," he said. "But, I'm bringing it back as soon as it's finished or if I don't think I can finish."

"That is acceptable," Yami said.

The older boy's eyes found his, and Yugi ignored the voice in the back of his head that wanted nothing more than to curl back asleep in his arms. 

* * *

Yugi was worrying his lower lip.

Next to him, Ryuji was smiling, eyes bright as he continued with his story. They were sitting in a cab, headed to Yugi's apartment, the radio low and a rope of beads clinking from the rearview mirror. Ryuji's hand was on Yugi's knee, but instead of butterflies, guilt twisted in Yugi's gut. It had been eating up at him ever since he'd left Yami's apartment and only intensified when Ryuji had picked him up more than an hour ago, the heat of Yami's touch signed into this memory.

Ryuji took a breath, and Yugi spat out the truth. "I went and visited Atemu-san today," he said, words rushing out like air from a popped balloon.

The smile faded from Ryuji's face. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"We argued the last time I brought him up," Yugi said, "and I didn't want to fight."

The car was silent other than the crackle of the radio, and Yugi was suddenly conscious of the cab driver in front of them, his eyes studying them in the rearview mirror.

"You went to Ozu and what?" Ryuji said. "Had lunch?"

Yugi forced himself not to cringe. "I went to his apartment."

The beads jangled as they hit a pothole, silence stretching between them.

"Are you into him?" Ryuji said.

Air was swelling in Yugi's chest, choking the words in his windpipe.

Ryuji exhaled. "Shit."

"I like _you_," Yugi said. He reached out, wincing as Ryuji turned away. "Ryuji."

"Look, Yugi," Ryuji said. "If you want to be with this guy, then just say so. No one is holding you back."

"I don't!" Yugi said. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Whenever I'm around him, I end up agreeing to things – and – it just gets so confusing. I can't explain it."

"But, do you want to be with him?" Ryuji said, snapping to face him.

"I don't – "

"Yes or no?"

_Just say no! _Yugi couldn't force the word out of his mouth._ Say something! _His lips were glued together, chest aching.

Ryuji shook his head, scooting further away and his head turned towards the window.

The rest of the cab ride was silent. 

* * *

Yugi collapsed onto his bed.

He was cold and tired, and wanted nothing more than to wrap up in his comforter and never emerge again. He and Ryuji had spent the last ten minutes in the cab in utter silence, and by the time they'd reached his apartment, the other boy didn't spare him a glance as Yugi paid his fare, stumbled outside, and watched the taxi peel off down the street.

Yugi curled onto the mattress, exhausted. He felt horrible. His grandfather had raised him better than this - to treat people with respect, fairness, and honesty. What had he been thinking going to Yami's apartment, snuggling up, and taking a golden puzzle set from him? He and Ryuji weren't anything official but, it was a safe rule of thumb that to move forward meant not cuddling up with other men. Yugi groaned into the covers.

He liked Ryuji. He was safe and nice, and he didn't have reporters tracking his every move. He was sweet and funny, and he made him smile. He was a good person. Yet no matter how much Yugi tried to hold onto that thought process, every bit of it fell out of his head when Yami was in front of him.

Rolling over onto his back, Yugi stared at the ceiling, frustrated. This wasn't him. He didn't lose his head over guys, and yet from the first time Yugi had met Yami, his brain had decided to take a mental vacation in the older boy's presence – consequences be damned.

Forcing himself out of bed, Yugi walked to his desk and opened the drawer where he'd stashed the puzzle. Heaving the box out, he set it on his desk, clearing off the papers fanned on the surface before placing the lid off to the side. The pieces glimmered in the light of his desk lamp, raising another round of goose bumps on his arms.

Yugi flopped back into his desk chair. He took out a handful of the pieces, arranging them in front of him before reaching in for another scoopful. It was too early to go to bed, and he would go crazy if he spent the rest of the night thinking about Ryuji or Yami. Maybe, jamming puzzle pieces together would be enough to clear his head.

Then again, if he did finish the puzzle, Yami would probably tell him it meant he was whatever mystical hikari person he'd been talking about. Yugi snorted, shaking his head. As if. 

* * *

**A/N: **As tempting as it is to just characterize Ryuji as a jerk and be done with it, I don't feel it's the way to go. In real life, it is rare that choices in love are easy. There are always shades of grey and I think in keeping the characters in story as realistic as possible, I'm going to make it a bit of struggle for Yugi (because I am just mean like that.) ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **This chapter is a longer one! Lots of line breaks ahead but, there is a lot going on and, I didn't want to waste words on any boring, non-plot driving stuff. :)

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Yugi was obsessed.

It had been a week since Yami had given him the puzzle and from the moment he'd clicked the first piece into place, Yugi couldn't stop. It seemed impossible that something so complex could come together so quickly but, after a few hours of working on it, he'd fit more than half the pieces together.

He examined the half-finished puzzle in front of him, fiddling with the piece in his hand. At first, he had assumed the puzzle was a cube but as he fit more and more of the pieces together it looked to be shaping into a pyramid. He snapped the next piece in place, slumping back in his chair as he glanced at the time.

It had been two hours since he'd been home from work, and he'd spent the last hour of it wasting in front of the puzzle. He couldn't help it. There was something exhilarating about watching the gold take shape and as encouraged as he was with his progress, he was already lamenting the moment when last piece was in place, the challenge finally solved.

His phone buzzed beside him, and he checked the text from Mana.

It was her second reminder of the day not to be late for dinner. Yugi sighed, gathering the puzzle pieces and laying them back in the box. He was due to the Industrial Illusions bi-annual stakeholders meeting in less than two hours, and if he didn't put the puzzle away now, he'd probably spend the rest of night holed up in his apartment.

Yugi had received his invitation to the meeting five days ago, courtesy of his supervisor who had told him that Crawford-sama had been so impressed by his work on his last two tournaments that he had issued Yugi a special invite. When Mana had found out, she'd practically fainted at his feet. Apparently, Crawford-sama's idea of a "meeting" had nothing to do with stale coffee and stiff boardroom chairs, and instead featured an eight straight quartet, open bar, and cater waiters.

The invitation list was exclusive and comprised of the wealthy investors and partners, and higher ups of the Industrial Illusions hierarchy. Yugi had, had to rent a tux, courtesy of the "black-tie-only" printed in fine print at the bottom of the invitation. He had no excuse not to go, especially since his social calendar had been growing dismal with Ryuji not answering his calls or texts.

The only caveat was the probability of Yami showing up. Yugi couldn't exactly ask his boss whether the King of Games would be making an appearance but, he had a sinking suspicion that with his status and relationship with Crawford-sama, Yami Atemu was most definitely on the guest list.

Standing from his desk, Yugi ran his fingers through his hair. He hadn't spoken to Yami in a week, and his stomach was already dancing with nerves just at the thought of running into him – in a tux. Wiping the image from his mind, Yugi squared his shoulders.

He was determined to keep his cool.

* * *

Yugi hated being short sometimes.

He stood up on his tiptoes, trying to see around the fifty plus heads bobbing in front of him. As a gala space in Domino's Museum of Natural History, the room was immense, with a ceiling that arched overhead and tapered into glass skylights showcasing the night sky.

The middle of the room was filled with twirling couples, dancing a complicated looking waltz that was beautiful but way beyond Yugi's swaying capabilities. Dining tables fanned out in a circle around the dance floor, an executive table standing at the room's head. The room was charged with energy, laughter spilling over the music as people milled about the room with cocktails and white napkins loaded with appetizers.

Yugi felt completely out of place.

Forcing his shoulders back, he made his way through the crowd, searching for his table. He resisted the urge to fidget as he made his way around the room, checking table cards. It took him a few minutes to make a complete circuit, and he was stumped as he made his way back to the start. His invitation said "Table: H" but, all of the tables were numbered with numbers not letters.

Pulling aside a waitress carrying a tray of cocktails, he pulled his invitation from his pocket and showed it to her, asking for direction.

She tilted her head, eyebrow arched and dark hair spilling over her shoulder. "'H' as in head table, sir," she said. She pointed towards the elevated table overseeing the dance floor, empty at the moment but soon to hold the elite and Crawford-sama himself.

Yugi took a long breath. _Seriously?_

The panic must have been written on his face because the waitress handed him a cocktail, unprompted, before disappearing into the crowd.

* * *

Yugi sensed the minute Yami walked into the room.

He turned from his conversation companion, a fresh-faced historian and honorary guest of Crawford-sama that he'd met at the bar a few minutes ago, and spotted Yami descending the steps. The clean, tailored lines of his tuxedo clung to his frame, and Yugi's heart skipped faster as Yami scanned the crowd.

Whipping back around, Yugi tried to focus, gulping down some of the seltzer he'd traded for the cocktail a few minutes ago. He needed to keep his wits about him, especially if he was going to be sitting a few chairs down from his boss' boss.

"Are you feeling alright, Yugi-san?" his companion, Malik, said. His forehead was creased in concern, pale violet eyes watching him as if he was about to faint to the ground at any moment. "Your face went completely white for a second."

"I'm fine," Yugi said, pulling on his collar.

Malik frowned at him, but his eyes widened as his gaze wondered somewhere over Yugi's shoulder. A grin split across his face, hand raised in a wave.

_Don't be Yami. Don't be Yami._

"Malik," a voice greeted. Yugi's stomach clenched as a hand slid across his back, settling there, followed by Yami stopping beside him. "Yugi."

Yugi glanced up, meeting crimson. "Hi," he said. That was literally the only word Yugi could force out of his mouth. It was taking every fiber of his being not to slide over a few extra inches to brush against Yami's side and ease the knot that was ratcheting tighter and tighter under his sternum.

"I met Yugi a few minutes ago," Malik said, raising his eyebrows. "You didn't tell me he would be here."

_Why would Yami tell him whether or not I would be here? _Yugi wondered, confused. Yami's hand was still resting against his back, but he didn't make a move to step forward. The calm was sliding through him again, a welcome distraction from the anxiety that had been twisting inside of him from the moment he'd stepped inside.

"I wasn't aware _you_ would be here," Yami said. "I assumed you were still in Egypt."

Malik shook his head, the ice in his glass rattling. "Isis needed my help setting up her new exhibit. It's right down the hall." He pointed to one of the roped off museum access points. "It opens next month."

"Mariku isn't here with you?" Yami said, scanning the room.

"I told him not to bother," Malik said, shaking his head. "He scares everyone away every time I drag him to a party." He rolled his eyes. "He and Bakura are probably running around together doing something illegal by now."

Yugi forced himself to keep a straight face.

"Would you mind if I spoke to Yugi alone for a moment?" Yami said.

_Crap._

"Of course!" Malik said. "I told Isis I would get her a drink and well," he held up the empty glass in his hand, "I owe her a new one." He winked, walking back towards the bar.

"Are you feeling alright?" Yami said, eying him.

"I'm fine!" Yugi snapped. _Okay, anger – that's new. _

Yami was silent.

Yugi took a breath. "Ryuji and I broke up," he said. There was the smallest curl to Yami's lips, and Yugi instantly regretted sharing.

"You are troubled over it?"

_We are so not going there_. "I finished half the puzzle," Yugi said, changing the subject.

Yami's eyebrows rose. "Already?"

"I have no idea how," Yugi said, admitted. "I swear that the thing is assembling itself. I pick up a piece, and it snaps right into place."

"Interesting," Yami said. His face remained neutral, as if the admission hadn't surprised him.

They stood in silence for a moment.

"So - where are you sitting?" Yugi said.

"Next to you."

_Of course you are._

"Our hosts have entered," Yami said.

Yugi whipped his around, spotting Pegasus and Cyndia Crawford lingering in the entrance. A group of people moved in the way, and Yugi could only make out the top of the pair's heads, a round of applause echoing through the room.

"We should join our table," Yami said.

Nodding, Yugi's gaze lingered on the couple making their way through the crowd. He didn't comment as Yami took his arm, leading him to the front of the room.

"Are you the reason I'm sitting up here?" Yugi said once they were settled. He had been mortified to discover that only Yami was sitting between him and Crawford-sama's chair. From this vantage point, Yugi could see the couple circulating the room, all smiles as they shook hands and distributed hugs.

"Perhaps," Yami said, the corner of his mouth lifting.

_That would be a yes._

The couple moved closer, and Yugi studied them. Pegasus Crawford looked no older than forty but, his hair was grey, shimmering in a silver curtain that flowed down to mid-back. He was wearing a crimson tuxedo, the color a perfect complement to the accents running the length of his wife's ball gown, her blonde curls pinned back in a twist laced with a matching ribbon. A ridge of goose bumps raised on Yugi's arm as the older man's Millennium Eye glinted under the lights of the chandelier.

Yugi turned back to Yami. "Why though?" he said. "There has to be a reason you wanted me up here."

"Other than spending time with you?"

"We could have done that sitting at any other table," Yugi pointed out.

Yami watched him. "Pegasus and Cyndia wanted to meet you."

Yugi blanched. "How do they even know who I am?"

Shrugging, Yami was saved by the swelling of the orchestra, drawing attention to the couple ascending the steps to the main table. Yugi sucked down a breath, watching as the Crawfords slid into their seats.

* * *

Yugi had never met anyone like Pegasus Crawford.

The older man laughed over his tea cup, wiping tears from his eyes as he regained his breath. He was enthralled by one of his companion's stories, and for the first time since the Crawfords had sat, Yugi took a breath. After welcoming their guests and congratulating them on another successful year of business, the couple had zeroed in on Yami and Yugi.

They had spent the entire salad, soup, and entrée course grilling Yugi on everything and anything and, at the sake of not offending his boss' boss and his boss' boss' wife, he'd spilled practically every detail about his life in the span of forty minutes. They hadn't taken their attention off of him until the dinner plates had been cleared a few minutes ago.

On the other side of Pegasus, Cyndia smiled at Yugi. She was much more reserved than Yugi had imagined, leaving most of the interrogation to Pegasus, but when she did speak, her voice was strong, commanding the table. Yugi returned the smile, dropping his gaze to the dessert that had been placed in front of him.

After forty minutes of the longest game of twenty questions of his life, he was exhausted.

"I apologize," Yami said, as if sensing the lethargy pulsing through Yugi's veins. "I was unaware their questions would be so numerous. I would have warned you otherwise."

"It's fine," Yugi said. He reached out without thinking, fingers brushing the older boy's leg, hoping to ease the tension in his frame.

Yami stiffened, head snapping towards him, wide eyed, and, Yugi jerked back his hand.

"Sorry," Yugi mumbled. He tucked his hand in his lap, finding his dessert plate suddenly fascinating as he dropped his gaze to the sponge cake in front of him. _What were you thinking!_

The silence stretched, endless, and Yugi hoped the ground would split, swallow him whole, and put him out of his misery.

He froze as Yami's hand slid over his leg. After a beat, the older boy leaned closer. "You surprised me," Yami said. The heat of his hand seeped through Yugi's dress pants, breath warm against his ear. "You have never initiated contact between us before."

Yugi could not bring himself to look away from the plate in front of him. His cheeks were blazing with the fire of a pot set to boil but, he didn't move away. The calm was filling him again, robbing him of his anxiety and loosening the ache in his chest as he forced himself to nod.

Yami didn't remove his hand until they stood from their seats more than an hour later.

* * *

Yugi could barely keep his eyes open.

Beside him, Yami was leaning back against his seat, jacket undone and his tie loosened as the car slowed for a red light. It hadn't taken much arm twisting for Yugi to accept the older boy's offer to have his car service take him home and once they had settled inside, it had taken all of Yugi's force of will not to curl up in a ball and fall asleep. It was barely past midnight but, he was running on empty.

The car was silent as they drove, each lost in their own thoughts, and even Yami's eyes were starting to flutter by the time they neared Yugi's building. It seemed even the King of Games got tired. Shadows were ringing the older boy's eyes, his face pale as he turned and met Yugi's gaze.

"You have to go all the way back to Ozu tonight?" Yugi said.

Yami nodded.

Yugi bit his lip. It would really be rude not to offer, especially considering that Yami had made the entire party more bearable, fun even. "If you want to stay with me tonight, you can," Yugi said. "On the couch, I mean."

Yami face was calm, but his eyes seemed to darken as they met Yugi's. He raised his hand, and Yugi's heart jackhammered in his chest, his body frozen as he sat captive under Yami's stare. He trailed his fingers down the side of Yugi's face, before settling under his chin, tilting his head up.

Yugi wasn't sure how long they sat like that, just looking at each other, before Yami spoke.

"I am tempted," Yami said, "but, accepting your offer would be to tempt fate." He lowered his hand, but his eyes stayed on Yugi.

Yugi heard what he'd said, every confusing bit of it. He really had. But, in that moment, his mind was far more interested in the foot of space between him and Yami, and how much better the entire situation would be if he was twelve inches closer. Shaking his head, Yugi dropped his gaze and tried to recapture his brain before it boarded its midnight flight to la-la-land and gave him an excuse to do something stupid, like throw himself in Yami's lap.

"Yugi," Yami said.

Yugi looked up. "Huh?"

"We've arrived at your apartment."

Yugi turned, spotting his building out the window. "Sorry," he said, fumbling with his seatbelt. It took him a moment before he stepped out, the air icy with the bite of winter and the street deserted. He jammed his hands in his pockets, leaning back to look in the car. "Thank you for the ride."

Yami nodded. "Goodnight."

Yugi started to close the door and stopped. "Do you want to hang out?" he said. "I mean, next week – would you like to hang out – with me?"

Yami watched him for a moment, his lips curling in a slow smile. "Yes," he said. "I would enjoy that."

"Okay then," Yugi said. He rocked back on his heels. "Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Yami repeated.

Yugi shut the door, a smile cracking across his face as he ascended the steps to his building.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **I'm annoyed with Fan Fiction. They keep holding reviews so that I don't see them for days or even _weeks_ after you guys are submitting them. I'm trying to get it figured out with support – though they haven't been too keen on answering my emails. On Monday, FF literally just got around to approving a huge chunk of almost **100** reviews on this story, some of them from three weeks ago when I first published it, and I was shocked! I am ecstatic that you are all enjoying the story and, thank you for all your reviews. I was reading through all of them on Monday and, they seriously made my day! :)

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

Yugi had temporarily lost his mind.

He'd been delirious with exhaustion, or maybe he had been riding some kind of residual buzz that came from chugging four glasses of seltzer. Either way, his brain had obviously decided to take an unplanned detour when he'd leaned back into the car three nights ago and asked Yami to hang out with him. Hangout – like a teenager asking his crush out on a date. His brain was apparently fifteen years old again.

He was getting way too comfortable around Yami – touching him, telling him personal stuff– two things that were definitely against the rules. To make things worse, Yugi's sleep had been restless, his dreams starring a certain duelist champion doing…things that violated every rule of professional ethics ever.

As the icing on the cake, it wasn't until after he'd recovered from his moment of insanity that Yugi had remembered that being seen in public with the King of Games would only result in a disastrous amount of media huddling outside his front door. The only choice had been to invite Yami over to his apartment, a place that the older boy had refused to visit only days prior on the premise of "tempting fate."

So, that's what they were doing – eating dinner together, alone, in Yugi's apartment – tempting fate.

The duelist champion was seated at Yugi's kitchen table, a glass of wine in hand and his legs sprawled out in front of him, his knee brushing against Yugi's every so often. The plates from dinner were still out but, Yugi couldn't find the energy to clear them yet.

He was drained, a combination of planning for his next tournament in two weeks and the dreams that left him feeling like he hadn't managed a blink of rest even after eight hours of unconsciousness. Everyday tasks had become an Olympic effort, and Yugi was starting to debate paying a visit to the doctor to discover the reason for the sudden bouts of lethargy. All he wanted was a decent night's rest.

"Have you made further progress with the puzzle?" Yami said, interrupting his thoughts. The older boy looked plenty at home in Yugi's apartment, the sleeves of his button down rolled up to his elbows and a glass of wine in front of him.

"I'm getting pretty close to finishing," Yugi said. It had only been a little more than a week since Yami had given him the puzzle, but there were less than twenty pieces sitting in the box waiting to be pieced together. "I can go get it if you want – " He moved to stand and, Yami held up his hand.

"There is no need," Yami said. "I still, however, would like to speak to you once it is completed."

Yugi nodded. He took a sip of his own wine. Again, a violation of rule number one but, Yami had come with it and – well – desperate times called for desperate measures. It wasn't that he felt anxious around Yami anymore, on the contrary, sitting together in his apartment, alone, felt way more intimate than it should for a pair of friends. The fact that his stomach kept clenching every time Yami's leg brushed against his wasn't helping matters.

"You know," Yugi said. "I'm kind of embarrassed that I don't actually know what you do when you aren't dueling." He fiddled with his wine glass. "What do you do the rest of the time?"

"I assist with my cousin's business."

"Anything I've heard of?" Yugi said, taking a sip from his glass.

"Kaiba Corporation."

Yugi choked on his wine. It took him few seconds to catch his breath, eyes watering. "Your cousin is Seto Kaiba?"

Yami nodded.

"How did I not know that?" Yugi said.

Kaiba Corporation and Industrial Illusions were aligned every way but legally. Industrial Illusions sold the game materials – cards, decks, booster packs – and Kaiba Corp created the technology that brought the games to life. Although the relationship between Kaiba and Crawford-sama was rumored to be a rocky one, the companies' partnership was a match made in business heaven and meant trillions for both of them.

Yami shrugged. "Seto and I are rarely photographed together, and our appearances are too dissimilar for people to guess our relationship."

"Wow," Yugi said, sitting back in his chair. "It's like everyone in your life is connected."

Yami looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"I mean, you're Seto Kaiba's cousin who is partners with Crawford-sama, whose wife tutored you growing up and who also invited an Egyptian historian to his party who you obviously knew pretty well," Yugi said. "That's a lot of connections." He smiled. "Don't tell me that you're all in some kind of secret Millennium Item club together?"

Every line in Yami's body tightened.

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "I was just kidding."

Silence was his answer.

"You're not really all in some sort of secret Millennium Item club together…are you?"

Another beat of silence. "We all have a shared interest in the Millennium Items."

The tightness of Yami's shoulders was telling. Something was up, and the mystery intrigued Yugi. He didn't know much about Yami, other than the few tidbits he'd wrangled out of him during their conversations, but whatever his interests in the Millennium Items were, it was something that was ingrained deep in his relationships.

"Well, how do you know Malik?" Yugi said. The historian he'd met at the party had said that his specialization was in Egyptian history and that he assisted his sister with her research. After Yami's reaction to his last question, Yugi wouldn't be surprised if that research had something to with the Millennium Items.

Yami set down his glass, watching him. "His partner and I are acquainted."

"Mariku?" Yugi said, remembering the name of the man that Yami and Malik had mentioned at the party.

Yami nodded.

"How long have you known Mariku?"

"Since infancy."

_Another mystery connection_. "Do you know what Malik's exhibit is about?" Yugi said, trying for nonchalant as he took a sip of wine.

Yami just looked at him.

_Another touchy subject. _

"It concerns his sister's work in the tombs," Yami said.

"Such as?" Yugi said, leaning forward.

Yami studied him. "I'm not positive."

"But, if you had to guess?"

Yami frowned. "The Millennium Items."

_Bingo!_ Yugi knew it was rude to pry but, considering that Yami spent most of the time they were together asking him questions about him but remaining tightlipped about much of his own past, Yugi was desperate for some kind of information on the older boy. Still, Yami was his guest, and no matter how much he wanted to dig deeper, he let the topic drop as he got up to clear the plates.

After a moment, the older boy followed, carrying another stack of dishes.

"You really don't have to do that," Yugi said. He started the sink, basin filling as Yami set the plates on the counter. Turning to face him, the older boy moved closer, narrowing the distance between them.

"I would prefer if you sit," Yami said.

"But, there are dishes."

"I will do them."

Yugi shook his head. "No way!"

"You're exhaustion is apparent," Yami said. His stepped closer, hand resting on the counter next to Yugi.

"I've been having some trouble sleeping," Yugi said. "I'm not going to pass out washing plates."

"Yugi."

"Don't 'Yugi,' me," Yugi said, frowning. He knew this trick, fallen for it to many times already. If Yami thought he could say his name and get him to agree to anything he wanted then he was in for a rude awakening. Yugi wasn't a pushover. He'd never let people push him around before and, he wasn't about to start now.

Yami stared down at him, initiating a staring contest that lasted a solid five seconds.

The older boy was the first to flinch. "Perhaps we should make a deal then," Yami said, smile edging his voice.

"What kind of deal?" Yugi said, frowning. He'd gotten roped in more trouble then he'd thought possible after making deals with the King of Games.

"I'll do the dishes and, you can ask me anything you want until I'm finished."

Yugi narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"

"You will sit down and relax."

"And I can help dry?"

"Yugi."

"You are seriously the most stubborn person I've ever met," Yugi huffed. He returned to the table, turning around one of the chairs and flopping down.

Yami started on the stack, starting the clock.

"Who gave you the Millennium Puzzle?"

"Isis Ishtar, Malik's sister."

"You know her too?"

Yami rinsed the first of the plates. "Yes, I've known her since I was a child."

"How is that possible though?" Yugi said. "You said you had the puzzle since you were born but, Malik looked younger than me, so his sister couldn't be that much older than you."

"She was born in the tombs," Yami said, "as was Malik. She was six when she was instructed to present me with the puzzle on the day of my birth."

"Wait," Yugi said. "They grew up in a _tomb_? As in a grave?"

Yami set the first dish in the dish drainer. "They were born into a group that had been charged for eons with guarding the tomb of the pharaoh."

"Pharaoh?"

Moving to the next plate, Yami glanced over at him. "The pharaoh of legend was believed to be the one who sealed the magic of the shadow realm in the Millennium Items."

"And the pharaoh is the guy the puzzle was supposed to have belonged to?" Yugi said as Yami finished another plate. He couldn't have more than a few minutes to go and now that he had Yami talking, he was desperate for all the answers he could get.

"Yes," Yami said.

"So, wait," Yugi said, confused. "How were Malik and his sister at the party if they are supposed to be protecting a tomb?"

Chopsticks clinked to the bottom of the sink, and Yami reached to retrieve them. "They were freed from their duty the moment that the pharaoh was reborn."

"Which was when?"

"Years ago," Yami said.

"I don't understand," Yugi said. "If this pharaoh guy is back then why would they give the puzzle to you?"

"For safe keeping," Yami said.

"Jeez," Yugi said. "Living in a tomb on the idea that some ancient pharaoh may or may not come back to life is hardcore commitment." He sat back in his chair, considering. "My grandfather would have loved it. He was obsessed with legends. When I was a kid, he would always tell me all of these stories he'd heard during his expeditions. They fascinated him."

Water sloshed in the sink. "He died recently?"

"Three years ago," Yugi said, ignoring the slight catch in his throat. He didn't talk about his grandfather, not to anyone anymore. The fact that he'd brought him up at all surprised even him. He'd mentioned it in passing at the party while under the Crawford's line of fire, but he didn't make a habit of bringing him up unprompted.

Yami set another dish to the side, staring down into the sink. "And your parents?"

"They died when I was little," Yugi said, crossing his arms. "I barely remember them."

"So your grandfather raised you?"

Yugi drummed his fingers against his side. "I was in a child care institution for a while. It took them a little more than a year to get all the paperwork together but after it went through, my grandfather retired and took me in."

"How old were you?"

"When they died?" Yugi said. "Six."

The only noise was the tap as Yami rinsed another dish. There were only two bowls left in the pile.

"Did – ?" Yami started.

"Woah, woah," Yugi said, huffing. "We had a deal! I sit and, I get to ask the questions. You're breaking the rules!"

Yami shook his head, smiling, setting the last plate in the drainer. "Go on."

Sitting back in his chair, Yugi watched the older boy work through the second to last bowl. He had a million questions. _How do you feel about me? Am I just a challenge for you? Do you really think that we can work together for real? _All questions he couldn't bring himself to ask. They sat in silence for a moment, and as Yami took the last of the dishes, he glanced over at him.

"All of your questions have evaporated?" Yami said.

_Don't be a chicken. _Yugi forced himself to sit straight, eyes steady on Yami. "What am I to you?"

Yami paused, sudsy bowl in hand, as he stared down into the sink. The silence stretched between them but, Yugi kept his mouth shut, waiting. "We made a deal," Yami said, resuming his washing, "a strictly platonic relationship for one month."

"Right," Yugi said, "but it's been three and a half weeks now."

"That isn't a question."

Yugi wrung his hands. "No, I guess it isn't."

The older boy rinsed the final dish, setting it to the side, and unstopping the sink, water whirling down the drain. He dried his hands before rejoining Yugi at the table. Taking the chair beside him, he dragged it closer, sinking down.

"There is an answer you are looking for," Yami said.

"I just – " Yugi said, turning his head and meeting the older boy's eyes. "I am just so confused about all of this."

"Explain it to me."

"Well," Yugi said, "I'm concerned."

"About?"

"About – this." He gestured between them. "Whatever this is."

"Because of your job?"

"That," Yugi said, "and you being kind of famous." _And the fact that I want to jump your bones every time we are in the same room together._

Yami opened his mouth to say something before pressing his lips together, shaking his head. "I will not violate the terms of our agreement by pushing you," he said. His eyes found Yugi's. "However, I have my own concerns."

"About what?"

"You aren't taking care of yourself," Yami said.

Yugi sputtered. "What?"

Yami tilted his head. "Have you eaten anything other than dinner today?"

"Well – no, but – "

"And you aren't sleeping."

"I am sleeping!" Yugi said, annoyed. _And if it weren't for you showing up in my dreams, there wouldn't a freaking problem. _He stood up from his chair, pacing.

"And yet you are exhausted," Yami said, unfolding from his own seat. "When is the last time you had a decent period of rest?"

_On your couch, with you. _"Look," Yugi said, meeting the older boy's eyes. "I appreciate your concern but, I'm fine, really. I've just got a lot going on and – " Yami advanced closer. "What are you doing?"

The older boy reached out, fingers wrapping around Yugi's elbow before pulling him into his chest in one swift move. Yugi tripped forward, catching himself as Yami's arms closed around him. He curled his fingers in the older boy's shirt, ready to tell him exactly what he thought about being yanked around like a rag doll when it hit him – relief.

The energy that flooded him was heavy, pumping through his veins like wine on an empty stomach, urging him to close his eyes and relax. He slumped forward, legs wobbling as Yami's hand slid up to cup the back of his head. The entire situation would have mortified Yugi if he wasn't ready to collapse to the floor. He was drooping, fast, and Yami's hand settled on his lower back, pressing him closer and upright.

"Yugi," Yami said.

"What?" Yugi grumbled. Yami may have succeeded in getting him in his arms but, that didn't mean he was about to faint at his feet. He had principles…sort of.

"You will run yourself into the ground if you do not take better care of yourself."

Yugi sighed, a long exhale that could only be the result of dealing with someone as hardheaded as Yami Atemu. "I take care of myself just fine. Stop worrying."

It was Yami's turn to sigh.

Yugi closed his eyes, resting his head forward and taking a long breath. He knew standing this close was inappropriate. He knew he was tiptoeing closer and closer to the professional line he'd drawn weeks ago. He knew it wasn't professional, rational, or particularly smart of him, and in a few hours, he'd be kicking himself for letting it happen at all.

But in that moment, that particular second of time, Yugi just couldn't bring himself to care. He wasn't worried about consequences, tournaments, or status because standing where he was, in the arms of the King of Games, he felt nothing but calm.

* * *

**A/N: **For those who have been asking, I've moved _The Theif's Hikari _to Archive of Our Own (AO3) and, the link is in my profile. I decided to move it because I was finding it difficult to write what I wanted (more explicit scenes) without violating Fan Fiction's murky "M" rating guidelines. So, for safety, it's been moved to AO3 under an explicit rating so that I can get as smutty as I darn well please without having to worry about upsetting mods.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

Yugi wheezed his way to his floor.

It was a little past five, and with a grocery bag tucked under each arm, laptop bag strung over his shoulder, and ten pounds of fabric shielding him from the sleet falling outside, he was sweating as he made his way to the fourth floor of his apartment building. Tripping up the last step, he caught himself before he face planted, and regaining his balance, he noticed someone leaning against his front door.

Ryuji was bundled up against the cold, a scarf tucked into his jacket and a pair of gloves stuffed into the pocket of his jeans. The hem of his pants were soaked from the slush building up on the streets, cheeks still flushed enough from the cold to know that he hadn't been waiting long.

"Hey," Yugi said. He shifted the bags in his arms, making his way across the landing as he tried to catch his breath. "I tried calling you." _Five times. Plus, the three texts that I sent. _It had been two weeks since their conversation in the cab, and Yugi had been starting to think that Ryuji had dropped off the face of the planet.

Ryuji was frowning.

"Do you mind coming in?" Yugi said, fumbling for his key. He really did want to talk to Ryuji. He felt horrible leaving things the way that they had, and he was desperate to explain himself, apologize for keeping secrets, and acting so, well, unlike himself.

Ryuji moved out of the way as Yugi unlocked the door and pushed inside. Hitting the light switch with his elbow, he dumped his bags in the kitchen, hearing the soft click of the front door closing, before returning to the hallway, finding Ryuji standing there, hands in his pockets.

"Look," Yugi began. "I really wanted to tell you how sorry – "

"Yugi, stop – really," Ryuji said, holding up a hand. "I didn't come here for an apology." He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I just – I don't know – wanted to talk to you about how things went down. It was a really shitty how things ended up and, I've felt like a dick avoiding you, and I'm sorry. I just kind of shut you out before I even let you actually tell me what was going on."

Yugi looked up at him. This was not how he expected this conversation with Ryuji to go – at all – and, he was feeling guiltier and guiltier for causing the entire mess as Ryuji watched him, waiting for a response.

"You shouldn't apologize," Yugi said. "You were right to be mad. I should have told you that I was going to see Atemu-san, but I knew even before I went that I didn't have a good reason to go. I just wanted to, and I didn't consider your feelings at all. You were right to be upset."

"Yeah, I was," Ryuji said. "But, I was also jealous and, that kind of added to the dick head quota."

Yugi's gaze drifted to the floor, a beat of silence looming over them.

"I got a backer for Dungeon Dice Monsters," Ryuji said.

Glancing up, Yugi found the older boy biting back a grin.

"I really wanted to tell you when it happened, but we were, well, not talking when I found out last week, but I really wanted to tell you," Ryuji said.

"That's amazing!" Yugi said, a smile stretching across his face. "I thought you had taken a break from looking for investors."

Ryuji had told him about his developing project on their second date a few weeks ago. It was a dice game that served as a compliment to Duel Monsters, and even though he made his living doing design work, the older boy had a head for business. He'd worked out an entire business plan and, all he needed was someone to finance the startup costs. But after more than a year of searching, he had admitted that he'd been losing hope of finding someone.

"That's what's so crazy!" Ryuji said. "This guy just came out of nowhere and said he'd seen my website and wanted to talk. I met with him and ending up leaving with a check for 600,000 yen to invest in production so that I can get a test product out in the local gaming scene."

"Wow," Yugi said. "That's amazing. Really, Ryuji."

Ryuji shrugged, goofy grin on his face. "Thanks."

"If you need any help, I'd be happy to…" Yugi said.

Ryuji shook his head. "I just wanted to tell you since we talked about it so much for a while there."

"I'm really glad that you did."

"So," Ryuji said, letting out a breath, "I should probably go. I didn't mean to bust in on you."

"It's alright," Yugi said. "I'm glad that you came – really."

Ryuji turned to the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. "Yugi?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you and that Atemu guy together now?"

"No!" Yugi said, cringing as the word left his mouth much more defensive than he'd meant it to. "I mean, sorry - no. We're just friends."

Ryuji glanced over his shoulder at him. "Which makes us?"

Yugi met his eyes. He knew the answer that Ryuji wanted, and he knew the answer that he wanted to give but, it wasn't fair to either of them, not when his head was getting so mixed up by a certain duelist champion determined to push every boundary he set. "Friends?"

Ryuji lowered his eyes, nodding. "Okay."

The door opened, and Ryuji stepped out into the hallway, waving before the door clicked shut behind him, leaving Yugi alone again.

* * *

Yugi stared at the near completed puzzle in front of him.

The remaining three pieces of gold glinted in the light of his desk lamp, casting shadows on his desk as the sleet continued to batter against his bedroom window. After Ryuji's surprise visit, Yugi had thrown himself into the puzzle and in the hour he'd been working, the pieces had been clicking into place as fast as he could work his fingers. It had been two weeks since Yami had given him the puzzle and yet, with the final three pieces in front of him, Yugi was hesitating.

It was ridiculous. He'd been slaving over the puzzle for days, desperate to finish it, but seconds from the end, he couldn't bring himself to slide in the last pieces. The hesitancy had been growing as the number of pieces dwindled, and Yugi couldn't help the voice in the back of his head that kept whispering that finishing the puzzle would mean something more than a challenge well done.

Shaking his head, Yugi picked up one of the pieces. He was being silly. It was just a puzzle, an inanimate object - gold, nothing more. He clicked the piece into place. Two to go. He placed the next. Click. His heart was thudding faster in his chest. He picked up the last piece, fingering the jagged edges as he stared at the Millennium Eye inscribed on the surface. The hair on his arms stood on end as he slid the piece into place with one final snap.

The Millennium Puzzle was complete.

He picked up the pyramid, holding it between his hands, and a shiver started at his scalp, trembling down his neck, spine, and all the way to his toes. The metal, though once cold, seemed to be heating, and panic rose in Yugi's throat as he found himself unable to let go. His fingers weren't moving. His entire body was paralyzed. The metal was getting hotter, the surface scalding the skin of his palms.

_Let go! _he told himself. _Let go of it!_

The heat was increasing, scorching his skin and burning through his veins. He clamped his eyes closed as the temperature burned hotter, ratcheting in intensity as if preparing to boil him from the inside out. A gasp escaped him as a headache, splitting in intensity, started at the base of his skull, working its way over his scalp.

"_Yugi_."

Yugi's eyes flew open at the sound. It was Yami's voice, accompanied by a cool brush through his mind like a splash of cold water over a burn, tempering the heat seared under the surface.

"_Yugi_." The voice wasn't coming from inside his room. It was coming from inside of his head.

He had officially lost it.

"_Open your mind to me,_" Yami said.

Yugi tried to speak but, he couldn't. His lips were glued closed. He tried to form a solid sentence in his head. "_I don't know_ _what you're talking about _– " A jagged breath escaped him as the puzzle burned hotter. "_This isn't real."_

"_Our bond is solidifying," _Yami said. _"The shadows will not ease until you accept it."_

"_Stop! Just stop talking!" _He had no idea what the voice – Yami, whoever, whatever – was talking about, and the terror was choking its way up his throat. He wasn't crazy. It was a nightmare. He was asleep. It couldn't be real.

"_Concentrate_," Yami said. His voice was calm, urging Yugi away from the panic surging though him.

A bead of sweat dripped between Yugi's shoulder blades, breath coming in hard pants. "_I can't – I can't breathe – _"

"_Concentrate, Yugi!_" A note of panic edged Yami's voice but, another wave of sweet relief swept through Yugi's head. "_You are fighting me yet, our bond is inevitable_."

"_This isn't real!" _Yugi snapped. The relief was slipping away again. He tried to latch onto it, digging in his heels as it threatened to disappear, leaving him alone with the fire burning through him. "_Please don't go_," Yugi begged._ "Please. I'm sorry. I'll do whatever you want – just make the pain stop."_

Then, there was relief.

It rushed through him like being plunged into an ice bath, and Yugi emerged from the sensation sputtering, gasping for air. The puzzle thudded to his desk, a loud thwap that couldn't cover his gulps as he tried to refill his lungs. His muscles were aching as he slumped back into his chair, tears streaking down his face.

He was crying.

The breaths were becoming sobs. His entire body shuddered with the force of the emotions tearing through him – terror, relief, anger. It took him a few minutes to get a hold of himself, breaths hiccupping as he rubbed his eyes, still burning from the force of his outburst. He forced himself out of his chair, legs bowing beneath him the moment he was vertical.

He stumbled to the bed, catching himself on his hands as he flopped down onto the mattress. There was no more noise other than his heart, pounding faster and faster. He cracked open an eye, staring at his ceiling. The sweat was drying on his skin and, a chill worked though him the longer he laid there. He was shaking. It took him another moment to work himself into a seating position. He stared at the Millennium Puzzle on the desk across from him.

He had to get rid of it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

Yugi blinked awake.

Sunlight was stretching across his comforter, the golden light of dawn breaking over Domino as he worked himself up into a seated position. It felt like he'd been sleeping for days, eyelids heavy as he squinted in the light. He was still wearing his work clothes, wrinkled and untucked, and he rubbed his eyes, trying to remember why he had fallen asleep on top of the comforter in clothes from the day before.

_The Puzzle_.

He dropped his hands, locating the gold pyramid still resting where he'd left it, glinting in the sunlight. Yugi let out a breath, wondering if the entire thing had been a dream. He felt fine, in fact, he felt better than he had in a long time. It had been forever since he'd gotten a decent night's sleep and, despite the kink in his neck from falling asleep at such a weird angle, he'd been conked out for hours of blissful rest.

Forcing himself to his feet, he stared down at the puzzle. He touched a finger against one of the edges, feeling nothing other than the slick surface of gold. Frowning, he picked up the pyramid, cupping it between his hands. There was no heat, no fire – just the same cool metal as always. _Could I have dreamed it?_ He set the puzzle back on his desk, shaking his head.

The sooner he gave the puzzle back to Yami the better.

His stomach clenched at the memory of the older boy's voice in his head, accompanied by the cool brush of against his mind despite the fire burning through him. _It was just a dream_, he told himself. He glanced down at the puzzle again. _Just a dream_.

He ran his fingers through his hair, turning away from his desk. He was going to be late to work if he didn't hurry up and jump in the shower. Unbuttoning his shirt, he glanced back at the puzzle once more, skin prickling with goose bumps as he rounded the corner into the hall.

* * *

Yugi let out a long breath.

Mana was standing in front of him, hair twisted back in a braid and a frown on her face as she met his eyes, waiting for a response. She'd been waiting for him to arrive, pacing the elevator lobby as the doors parted. She'd jumped him the minute he'd stepped onto the floor, words coming out a mile a minute, and by the time Yugi realized what she was saying, he was half tempted to take the elevator back down to the ground floor.

"Mutou-san," she said, peering up at him. "Did you hear me?"

Yugi nodded.

"I swear I tried to stop him," she said, "but, I wasn't sure – " She paused, eyes wide. "I wasn't sure what he is to you so, I let him go in."

"Mana," Yugi said, holding up a hand. "It's alright."

Her head drooped forward. "You look mad."

Yugi worked up a small smile. "It's fine," he said. It didn't surprise him that Yami had managed to finagle his way past security and into his office yet again, but after last night's bizarro dream, he'd been hoping for a few Yami-free days to let his brain settle from the nightmare. Fate, however, seemed to have a different plan.

Patting Mana on the shoulder, Yugi brushed past, unwinding his scarf from his neck and working the buttons of his jacket as he passed by his staff's cubicles, wishing them good morning. The door to his office was closed, and he took a breath before he pressed inside, finding Yami sitting in his desk chair.

"I didn't know you were stopping by today," Yugi said. He shut the door behind him, draping his things over one of the chairs in front of his desk.

The older boy shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood."

Yugi frowned. "You happened to be passing by my office at," he glanced at his watch, "eight in the morning?"

Yami looked at him. "I came to inquire about the status of the Millennium Puzzle."

Freezing, Yugi's heart pounded in his chest at the choice of topic. "You came all the way here to ask me about the puzzle?"

"Is it completed?"

"Well, yes," Yugi said, "I actually finished it last night."

"I asked you to contact me upon its completion."

"I fell asleep after I finished it," Yugi said, shrugging. "I was going to call you this morning."

The older boy looked unconvinced.

"I mean, if you want it now, I can just give you the key to my apartment and, you can go get it before you go home," Yugi said, digging in his pocket for his keys. "Just leave the key under the mat when you're done." He unhooked the key from the ring, holding it out. It was the perfect solution. Yami got his puzzle, and Yugi got the thing out of his apartment for good.

Yami looked at the key before his eyes locked on Yugi's. "I would like to speak with you."

_Guess that's not going to work. _Dropping his hand, Yugi resisted the urge to sigh. "You know, I'm really supposed to be working right now."

"The topic is urgent."

Sinking down into a chair, Yugi waited. "Okay."

"The Millennium Puzzle."

Dread was a cold drip down Yugi's spine. Why was Yami so fixated on talking about this? "What about it?"

"Tell me about your experience completing it."

"What do you mean?" Yugi said. "I put the pieces together and, it was finished."

"Nothing peculiar occurred?"

"Like?"

"Yugi."

Yugi frowned. "What?" he said. "I'm not sure what you want me to say."

"Tell me what happened after you finished the puzzle."

_It was just a dream, _Yugi reminded himself but, anxiety from the nightmare was creeping up his throat. "Nothing," he said. "I fell asleep like I told you."

"And you are sure nothing else occurred?"

Frowning, Yugi crossed his arms. This was not the time or place for this conversation. Talking about the puzzle wasn't time sensitive, and in the past five minutes, six of his staff members had passed his office window, head facing straight ahead but eyes slanted to get a glimpse of him and the King of Games. He needed Yami out of his office, now.

"Look," Yugi said, "I really wish I had time to discuss now this but, I don't, and I would appreciate it if you didn't show up to my office unannounced in the future. My employees are going to start getting the wrong idea."

"What idea is that?"

"That we are something more than – " Yugi struggled for a word. " – friends."

Yami tilted his head, eyes finding Yugi. "You are anxious today."

Yugi sank back, forcing himself to relax. He was getting way too worked up over this. It was just a stupid dream. "What do you need to discuss, Atemu-san?"

"It's time that we discussed your role in the Millennium Puzzle."

Yugi frowned."What do you mean?"

"Twenty five years ago, Isis Ishtar gave me the Millennium Puzzle," Yami said. "It was uncovered by an archeologist years prior and, when she was notified the pharaoh had been reborn, she returned the puzzle to him and, her family was released from their duty as keepers of the pharaoh's tomb."

"Which means what?"

Yami sat up, raising his chin. "I'm the pharaoh of legend."

Yugi just looked at him. Really, seriously looked at him. It was a joke. Yami was kidding. He had to be kidding. "Are you – ?"

"Hundreds of years ago, the shadow realm was threatening to destroy the fabric of the universe by which we live," Yami continued. "I was forced to sacrifice the lives of myself and the other owners of the Millennium Items, as well as my chief advisor, in order to seal the power of the shadow realm in the items themselves."

"Atemu-san – "

Yami wasn't finished. "I did so knowing that one day I, and the rest of my brethren, would be reborn in a future time when the universe was strong enough to balance the darkness that flows through the veins of each of us who can wield the power of the shadow realm. This balance came in the form of the hikaris, each born fated to find their way to their darker half."

"Atemu-san, you're not making any sense," Yugi said, leaning forward. "It's just a story. It's not – "

"You observed that there are many connections between the people in my life, and you were correct to do so," Yami said. "The power of the Millennium Items links me together with the rest of the wielders of the shadow realm and their hikaris. However, finding you was the last piece of the puzzle."

Yugi sat back, afraid to even ask.

"You are my hikari. The last of the hikaris to be discovered," Yami said. "Fate has kept us apart longer than all of the rest, however, the minute you finished the puzzle, our bond was complete."

Yugi just stared at him. No words passed through his head. There was only silence - complete and utter silence. He was insane. Yami Atemu was completely insane. How could he have missed it? They spent hours together. He'd fallen asleep on his couch for god's sake.

"You, however, have been fighting the bond between us from the first moment we met two months ago," Yami continued, eyes narrowing. "It has done nothing but weaken us both."

Yugi had heard enough. "Atemu-san – "

"We must discuss this, Yugi," Yami said. "Our bond is – "

"I don't want to hear anymore," Yugi said. Anger was pulsing through him, its heat burning its way through his veins, choking the breath in his throat. "You can't come here, to my workplace, and tell me something like that and just expect me to carry on like business as usual." He shook his head. "That story is delusional, and if you seriously believe anything you just said then I am sorry but, I can't have you here or in my life – period."

Yami caught his gaze. "Did you hear my voice last night?"

Ice crept down Yugi's neck. "What?"

"Last night, when you finished the puzzle," Yami said, "did you hear my voice in your mind?"

Yugi stood from his chair, rising to his full height. "I want you to leave," Yugi said. "I'll call security if I have to." He reached across the desk for his phone but, Yami's fingers wrapped around his wrist, stopping him. The moment that Yami's skin touched his, butterflies rushed through Yugi with an intensity that stole the air from his lungs. His entire body throbbed, one long pulse that sent his blood rushing southbound, and he forced down a breath as he tried to settle himself. _What the hell?_

"Our connection has grown stronger with the puzzle's completion," Yami said, adjusting his hold on Yugi's wrist and sending a whole new flutter through Yugi's body. "Touch, in particular, will be heightened between us."

Yugi refused to meet his eyes, heat creeping up his neck.

"It's understandable to be reluctant in accepting the reality of our connection," Yami said, "but fighting it will only prolong the inevitable. We are two halves of one soul. We are fated together – for life – and nothing will keep you from me."

"Let go," Yugi said.

"Look at me, Yugi."

Yugi took a breath before glancing up, meeting the older boy's eyes. Yami's face was drawn, his forehead wrinkled as his eyes searched Yugi's. He looked anxious, a look that Yugi had yet to see on the King of Games, who normally emitted enough confidence to command arenas across the world. It was unsettling, and though he couldn't explain it, guilt flooded through Yugi. He needed Yami out of his office, far away from him, where he couldn't confuse him anymore than he already had.

"We had a deal," Yugi said.

Yami frowned.

"You told me that if I didn't want to move forward in a month you would leave me alone," he continued. "Well, it's been a month, and I don't want be a part of this anymore."

The older boy's fingers tightened around his wrist.

"We'll have to see each other at tournaments but, other than that," Yugi said, swallowing the lump in his throat, "I'm done with this."

"You cannot deny the bond between us," Yami said.

Yugi tried to free his wrist, but the older boy's grip wasn't budging. "I am asking you to leave, Atemu-san."

"I am not – "

"I want you to go – "

"Yugi – "

"Leave!" Yugi said, voice hard with the command. "Now." He wretched his wrist free with one hard yank before stalking to the door of his office, jerking it open. He nodded to one of his team members as they passed down the hall. "Thank you for stopping by, Atemu-san," he said. "Industrial Illusions looks forward to your participation at our next tournament."

Five long seconds passed before Yami stood from his chair, wheels scraping back against the floor. Yugi forced the breath in and out of his lungs as the older boy approached. Yami paused beside him, and Yugi stared out into the hall, waiting for him to go. _Just leave._ The older boy lifted his arm. _Please._ After another moment, Yami brushed past without a word, footsteps fading.

Yugi closed the door, sinking forward, forehead resting against the wood. A long breath escaped him. There was obviously something wrong with Yami if he seriously believed everything that he had said. There was no such thing as soulmates, magic, or a shadow realm and, people definitely weren't reborn. It was crazy talk, the kind of thing that delusional people squatting in metro stations rambled on about, not the kind of thing that sane people, let alone a celebrity, were supposed to believe.

He rubbed his eyes, angry at himself, Yami, getting himself into this situation – everything.

Sucking down a breath, Yugi wiped a hand down his face. He had a job to do, and he was at work. It wasn't the time to be upset. He had a tournament to plan, and a staff to lead. Straightening his clothes, he forced his shoulders back and opened his office door, retreating back to his desk to start his day. It was fine. Everything was fine. He would be fine. He just needed a second to get his head straight.

When Mana came in an hour later to remind him about his 10 o'clock meeting, Yugi hadn't started work on a thing.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm determined to put these characters through their paces before this story is finished. ;) Don't worry - they'll get there eventually!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

Yugi was not amused.

He stared at the delivery man in front of him, praying to whatever god above that the box in his hands was not what he thought it was.

"I have a return-to-sender for you, sir," the man said. He nodded to the handheld on top of the box. "I'm going to need you to sign for it."

Yugi blinked, glancing from the box back to the man and then back to the box again. "But, I don't want it back."

The man frowned. "The addressee refused it upon delivery, sir."

Yugi sighed. "What happens if I don't take it?"

"We dispose of it," the man said.

"I don't – I just – " Yugi took a long breath. "Fine." He scribbled his name on the handheld, accepting the box, and watched the delivery man hightail it down the hall with a fading thank you. Great, now he was scaring mailmen too. He nudged the door closed, lugging the box to the kitchen table.

It had been a rough week.

Between the final planning for the tournament in Komaki next week and his last conversation with Yami, his entire staff had been walking on eggshells with the dark cloud that had taken up permanent residence over Yugi's head. And now, this. He stared down at the box that he'd mailed three days ago. The Millennium Puzzle and its box were nestled inside, a bubble wrap cocoon keeping them safe from any bumps or bruises and the shipping label addressed to none other than Yami Atemu.

Yugi slumped back into one of his kitchen chairs, glaring at the box. The stupid thing weighed 20 pounds, and it had cost him 6,000 yen to ship, and, Yami had refused it? Seriously? Yugi was half tempted to drop the package out his fourth story window and be done with it. He sighed. It was way too valuable to just toss it. He was stuck with it until he could figure out a way to get it out of his hands and back to Yami without actually seeing Yami.

Shaking his head, Yugi stood from his chair. He ripped the shipping label from the top of the box, crumpling the plastic sheath in his fist when a knock sounded on the front door. _Great. _Returning to the door, he checked the peephole, finding a familiar face beaming up at him. Yugi sighed, a long exhale that carried only a wisp of his frustration.

He yanked open the door, finding Malik Ishtar standing in the hallway.

* * *

Yugi didn't know what to say.

They were sitting at his kitchen table, the package pushed to the side and two cups of tea in front of them. Malik had come bearing gifts, a blend of tea from where he'd grown up in Egypt, his bargaining chip into getting Yugi to let him come inside. They'd worked through the usual round of small talk while the water boiled and tea brewed but, sitting across from him, Yugi was waiting for the inevitable segue to come. After all, he and Malik had only spoken for ten minutes at a party two weeks ago, it wasn't as if he'd come for a social call. Yugi knew this was about Yami.

"I have to confess," Malik said, cupping his tea mug. "I came here for a reason."

_Here we go. _Yugi took a long sip of tea, waiting.

"I wanted to invite you to the opening of my and my sister's exhibit this weekend," Malik said, digging out an envelope from his jacket pocket. He had shed his winter coat, gloves, and scarf at the door, revealing another zip-up underneath. Despite the natural tan of his skin and having lived in Japan for two years, he wasn't much for the winter weather. He slid the paper across the table, but Yugi made no move to reach for it.

"Will Atemu-san be attending?" Yugi said, watching as the younger boy began to squirm across from him. Malik was only a few years younger than him but, he and Yugi seemed on equal footing in their inability to keep a straight face when stretching the truth.

"Yes," Malik admitted, "but – "

"I apologize," Yugi said. "I don't know what Atemu-san told you but, he and I are not involved outside of professional capacity."

"You had a fight, right?"

Yugi frowned.

Fiddling with his mug, Malik stared down at the steam rising from his tea. "You know," he said. "You should talk to him. He'd like to hear from you."

"Malik?"

The younger boy glanced up.

"Did Atemu-san ask you to come talk to me about this?" Yugi said, waiting for the truth to cross the younger boy's face. It only took a second for Malik to bite his lip. _That's a yes._

"He's just worried," Malik said. "It freaks him out to be apart from you, especially now since the puzzle is finished. But he's trying to give you space."

"And that doesn't sound odd to you?" Yugi said. "Atemu-san and I aren't together. He has no reason to be that worried about me."

Malik looked at him as if that was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "He's your yami," he said. "Of course he's going to be worried about you."

Yugi let out a breath. "Look, Malik. I don't want to offend you - I know that you grew up with these legends," he said, "but, I just don't buy into them."

"I get it. Really," Malik said, meeting Yugi's eyes. "I've watched three other hikari's go through exactly what you're going through now and, it took a while for all of them to come to terms with it."

"I just don't see how anyone can come to terms with someone honestly believing they are the other half of their soul," Yugi said.

Malik nodded. "I know it's a stretch," he said. "I mean, I am a hikari, and even though I grew up knowing who I was, it felt pretty intrusive when Mariku showed up and expected me to just jump right in. It's different for the yamis though. They remember the past so, it's harder for them to get it."

Yugi took a sip of tea, wondering how in the world he was supposed to respond to that. It was obvious that, like Yami, Malik truly believed in the legend of the puzzle. Of course, having been born and raised in a tomb waiting for a pharaoh to free him, his opinion wasn't exactly objective.

"I think it would really help if you met some of the other hikaris," Malik said. "It always helps to meet other people going through the same thing."

"To be honest," Yugi said, "I really don't want to get involved in this anymore than I already am. If Yami had told me what finishing the puzzle would mean to him, I would have never accepted it in the first place."

Malik took another sip of tea, frowning. After a moment, he set down his cup. "I don't want to pry," he said, "but do you really not feel anything special when you are around Yami?"

Yugi glanced down at his tea. He wouldn't lie but, he didn't have to confirm Malik's suspicions either. The connection he'd felt towards Yami had been a fluke, the result of a silly crush on a celebrity client. There was no merit to it. It wasn't magic, just a quip of biology.

"I mean, because I remember when I first met Mariku," Malik continued, "even knowing who I was, I was surprised how intense the connection between us was."

"What do you mean?" Yugi said. He chastised himself as soon as the question left his lips. He wasn't supposed to be encouraging this conversation.

"Well, my childhood was pretty crappy." Malik said, "My mom died a few days after she gave birth to me and, my dad pretty much tortured me and my siblings until my older brother was old enough to get us out from under him." He crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. "So, when I met Mariku, I was 16 and pretty pissed off at everything. My life had been shitty enough up to that point, and when this guy showed up saying I was the other half of his soul, I was pretty mad. I'd been waiting for my yami to show up my whole life, and it was only once I was just starting to get past all the crap stuff that he showed up."

Yugi set down his cup as the younger boy continued.

"Mariku and I got off to a pretty rocky start," Malik said. "But, I specifically remember the day the he found me. I was with Isis at the market, and he stormed up to me and grabbed my arm, and for the first time in my entire life, I just remember feeling this strangest sensation of calm. It was like every bad feeling, all the bad memories evaporated for that moment."

Narrowing his eyes, Yugi leaned forward. The calm that he'd felt when Yami had touched him had been a coincidence. It had to have been a coincidence.

"And when we're apart, it's hard," Malik said. "It's gotten a lot better the longer we've been together but for those first few months, I remember being separated from him felt almost impossible. I couldn't sleep right. I couldn't eat. I was pissed off at everyone." Tilting his head, the younger boy looked at Yugi. "Are you alright?"

Yugi realized he was gripping the edge of the table. He let out a breath, unclenching, and sat back in his chair. "I'm fine." It had been so easy to fall asleep in Yami's arms. It had only taken a second, one second of the older boy's arm around him before he had drifted off after days of insomnia. In fact, every time Yami touched him, it had been like instant relief.

"I really would like you to come visit our exhibit," Malik said. He pushed the envelope a few inches forward before dropping his hand. "Even if you don't want to come to the opening, I think it would be worthwhile to see what kind of research has been done on the Millennium Items."

"I'll have to think about it," Yugi said.

Malik nodded, giving him a small smile. "Thank you for letting me speak to you," he said. "I won't intrude on your time any more than I already have." He stood from his chair, giving a slight bow, and Yugi glanced over at the package sitting on the table.

"I don't suppose you would take that box to Atemu-san for me?" Yugi said, nodding towards the package.

The younger boy shook his head, smile remaining. "That's between you and Yami."

Yugi sighed. He knew that would have been too easy.

* * *

Yugi crossed his arms.

He was standing in front of the Domino City Historical Museum, staring up at massive stretch of stone and glass, a breeze pushing past him and the sun high overhead. It was the middle of the day and despite all the preparations he still had to get done for the tournament in three days, he'd told Mana he was talking a long lunch and ended up in front of the museum, watching people come and go as he tried to decide whether or not to go inside.

The exhibit had opened a few days ago. Yugi hadn't even considered attending the opening reception. He knew he'd have to see Yami at the tournament in a few days but at least then Yugi would have work to distract him. Seeing him at a party, however, would have been asking for trouble.

Shaking his head, Yugi started to turn away from the museum. He was being dumb. He shouldn't be involving himself anymore in the Millennium Items, no matter how normal Malik Ishtar had seemed. Walking a few paces, he stopped, letting out a long breath. He'd already walked the six blocks to the museum. It would be stupid not to go inside. It wasn't like anyone would know if he just looked at the exhibit for a second.

He turned back to the building, taking a step closer. It wasn't a big deal. He would go in for a few minutes, satisfy his curiosity, and leave. It would be fine. No problem. Mounting the steps, it took him a few minutes to make his way inside. He was having flashbacks of the Crawford's party as he passed through the museum's main gallery, glancing up at the skylights that were flooded with sunlight instead of the dark ink of night.

Trailing his way toward the direction that Malik had pointed a few weeks ago, he found the exhibit a few seconds later, heart beating faster as he stepped into the room. The museum lights were dark, spotlights illuminating the pieces hung on the walls, and the heat rattling through the vents as Yugi pressed forward. There were a few students walking around, one bent over to write on the notepad balanced on his thigh, but the room was silent other than the scratch of pen across paper.

Yugi was wringing his hands as he reached the first piece of the collection, a giant stone tablet encased in glass. Carvings were inscribed on the surface, the edges crumbled as if it had withstood centuries of wear and tear. There were two people carved in the stone, the first character unfamiliar to Yugi but the second…Yugi blinked, wondering if his eyes were having trouble adjusting to the light.

He leaned closer, studying the tablet. The second person was carved under a creature looking suspiciously like the Dark Magician, hair spiky and the Millennium Puzzle hanging around his neck. If he didn't know any better, Yugi would say it looked like – Yami.

Sinking back on his heels, Yugi shook his head. He was projecting. It was a coincidence. He moved on, following the length of the room and tracing the history of the Millennium Items as told through Egyptian history up until the current era. It told the story of seven items – a puzzle, ring, rod, key, scale, eye, and necklace – all uncatalogued in the public domain but privately owned by seven individuals, all rumored all to be living in Japan.

Goosebumps rose on his arms as Yugi reached the section on the Millennium Puzzle.

The text written there wasn't unlike the story that Yami had told him – an ancient pharaoh, shadow realm, saving the universe. Yugi frowned as he reread the blurb, eyes settling on an ancient sketch of the puzzle hanging next to it. The kohl markings depicted the same golden pyramid sitting in the box on his kitchen table.

It took him another few minutes to make his way around the entire exhibit, and as he returned to the beginning, he stared up at the stone tablet once more. His eyes settled on the Yami look-a-like, ignoring the fact that resemblance seemed more and more uncanny the longer he stood there. _It's just a coincidence,_ Yugi told himself. _Don't make something out of nothing_.

He stepped back as a new group of students entered the room. Slipping from the exhibit, he made his way back to the gallery hall. The room seemed so much bigger without the party packed inside, and Yugi walked to the room's center, the memory of how anxious he'd felt being there welling inside of him.

_Stop thinking about it_, he told himself, but it was too late. The memory was already flooding back to him – the feel of Yami's hand on his back, on his leg, easing his nerves as the party swelled around them. Yugi frowned, shoulders drooping. He'd thought that seeing the exhibit would alleviate any doubts in his head about Yami and Malik being completely insane and instead, he felt worse.

It had been several nights since his last solid rest and, his appetite had been put on the backburner as the stress of the tournament began to ramp up. He was tired and in a crappy mood, and the idea of seeing Yami in three days was not adding to his cheery disposition. He just wanted to relax, but his brain was not cooperating.

He tried to remember the last time he'd felt like he could catch his breath. It had been in his kitchen a week ago when Yami had wrapped his arms around him, hands pressed against his back, body warm against his. Yugi sighed. Coming here had been a bad idea, a tremendously awful idea.

Shaking his head, he started towards the exit. He had a tournament to prepare for and, it was well past time he got his head out of the past.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

Yugi paced the length of the conference room.

His team had already dispersed to complete their tasks but, he'd stayed behind, content to worry a hole into the carpet as he circled the room's table for the fifth time. It was a dull room, with grey walls, pine furniture, and enough florescent wattage to make Yugi feel like he was in corporate prison rather than an event venue. Beginning another lap, his heart pounded faster in his chest.

It was the first day of the tournament. Everything was planned to the last detail. His team was ready, and the arena floor was in the process of being set. A two day non-televised tournament was a child's play compared to the chaotic whirlwind that had been Okayama and yet, as soon as he'd stepped foot in the arena a few hours ago, his stress level had begun to ricochet off the charts.

There was a soft knock and a pause before the door creaked open.

Mana poked her head inside. "Mutou-sama," she said, opening the door a smidge wider. "Are you ready to look at the floor set-up?"

"Sure," Yugi said, nodding. He picked up one of the files on the table, turning the paper in his hands as he reached her.

"And you are sure you're feeling alright today?" Mana said, eyebrows knitted together, worrying her lower lip.

Yugi sighed. It was the third time she'd asked since their five am team meeting an hour ago. "I'm fine, Mana," he said. "Really."

"You just look really pale," she said, slumping against the door frame. "And you didn't eat anything at dinner last night…or this morning."

"We've have a lot to get done," Yugi said, shrugging. "That's all." He couldn't even begin to imagine the look on her face if he told her that he hadn't been able to force down a full meal for days. A buzzing sensation had started somewhere just behind his eyes the night before, but whether it was from lack of sleep or food, Yugi wasn't sure. He had two days to get through, and then he wouldn't have to worry about another tournament or running into any particular duelists for the next four months. Four months of blissful buffer time.

"If you're sure…" Mana said. "I can go get you something to eat or drink if you need – "

Yugi shook his head, moving forward. "I'm fine," he said. They stepped out into the hall, door clicking shut behind them, and Yugi glanced over at her. "I appreciate your concern though."

Mana whipped her head towards him, beaming as she started to walk him through the day's itinerary.

* * *

Yugi was acting like a teenager.

It was noon and, the tournament was in full swing. The stands were packed with fans, an even split of girls and boys, chattering among themselves, eyes wide as they watched the holograms bloom to life in front of them.

Yugi was standing on the arena floor, back pressed against the wall as one of his team members, Honda, a broad shouldered man with a full head of hair, gave him an update, shouting over the noise of the crowd, his body positioned at the perfect angle to block Yugi's line of sight from Yami Atemu. The duelist champion was halfway through his first duel and though Yugi had been on the floor for the entire morning, he had managed to avoid looking directly at Yami all day.

Everything was going fine – a day and a half to go and, Yugi would be home free.

Honda pointed to something on the clipboard in his hands. Yugi started to move to join his side when Honda stepped forward, joining Yugi at the wall. Yugi fixed his eyes on the clipboard, focusing all his attention on the list of names pinned there and not the quiver in his stomach as he realized that the barrier between him and the King of Games had narrowed to only the air between them.

After a few minutes, Honda finished his update, giving a slight bow before striding across the floor to confirm the duelists in the next matchup were in place. Yugi scanned the arena, eyes peeled for any rouge fans roaming where they shouldn't be or members of his team looking close to tears. He tugged on his collar, head spinning as he pressed back against the wall behind him. Mana was right – he probably should have eaten something.

He waited for the spell to pass, hands shoved in his pockets as he kept watch over the room. It took a few more minutes for Yami to finish his duel, and the crowd roared as the platforms lowered, depositing both duelists to the ground as Honda hustled the next pair into position. Yugi glanced up at the crowd, half tempted to make a run for it as the King of Games stepped onto the floor.

_Please just ignore me. Please for the love of – _

"Yugi."

_Crap._

Yugi found Yami a few feet in front of him. It had been less than two weeks since he'd seen him last but, it had felt like months since his last conversation with Yami in his office. Yugi met the older boy's eyes, forcing a smile and ignoring the sudden uptick in his pulse. "Hello, Atemu-san," he said. "Congratulations on your win."

Frowning, Yami kept his distance. "Are you feeling well?"

"Absolutely," Yugi said. _Be professional – polite – accommodating. _His heart was pounding. "I feel great. How about you?"

"You look ready to faint," Yami said, stepping closer, hand reaching out to –

_Abort! Abort!_ Yugi moved to the side, head whirling faster as he separated from the support of the wall and added a few extra inches between himself and the duelist champion. "I'm fine," he said, forcing another smile. "Thank you for your concern. Now, if you'll please excuse me." He bowed, head wooshing as he straightened. "I have some things to take care of."

"Yugi – " Yami began but, Yugi was already turning away.

He strode across the arena, pushing through the closest set of doors and into one of the utility corridors that he and his team had been sprinting up and down all morning. The sound from the arena muffled as the doors sealed shut, and Yugi walked down to the water fountain a few feet away, taking a long drink and splashing some of the liquid on his face.

His heart was pounding, cheeks hot as he steadied himself. He'd done it. He'd managed a conversation with Yami without saying or doing anything stupid for once. He straightened, trying to swallow back the lump in his throat. It was fine. He could do this. He rubbed his sternum, hoping to lessen the ache that had taken up permanent residence behind his breastbone. Everything was fine.

Taking a breath, he waited another few minutes before stepping back onto the arena floor.

* * *

Yugi was trying to keep pace.

Mana was talking at warp speed, her entire body blurring as she power-walked the length of the corridor, filling Yugi in on an earlier situation involving an American duelist who had to be dragged from her podium after being defeated in a series of three moves. There were only three duels to go until the day's conclusion, and, when Yugi had left the arena floor a few minutes ago, Yami had been stepping up on his platform for his final duel of the day.

Beside him, Mana seemed to be picking up in speed, and Yugi hung back as another wave of lightheadness crashed over him. He swallowed, throat dry as he forced one foot after another. Mana circled back when she realized he'd slowed. She continued with her story, gesturing wide with her hands, but Yugi was having trouble understanding her. In fact, he was having trouble breathing.

He stumbled to the wall, slumping against the surface as black spots edged his vision. The hallway tilted sideways as Mana peered down at him, pausing in her story. Yugi sucked down a breath then another. He just needed to stop and catch his breath for a second. Mana's eyes were wide, hands reaching out to steady him as he started to slip down the wall.

For such a petite girl, she was stronger than she looked.

Her fingers gripped his arm, keeping him from tumbling to the floor as his vision darkened. She was saying his name, eyes panicked as she tried to keep him upright. It wasn't working. Yugi felt himself falling. He was slipping, heart pounding faster and faster in his chest, Mana gripping him tighter as the world faded in a triumphant swirl of color to black.

* * *

Yugi had the worst headache of his life.

He cracked open his eyes, shutting them as the blinding florescent of the hallway lights burned through his pupils. The tile was freezing beneath him, but his head was cushioned in someone's lap, warm hands resting on his shoulders. Around him, the world was silent, and he forced his eyes open, squinting in the light.

"Yugi," Yami said.

_Crap. _Yugi closed his eyes again. His head was pounding as hard as his pulse, and he did not have the energy to deal with Yami Atemu. Not now. Not ever.

"Open your eyes," Yami said.

Yugi sighed, squinting up at the older boy. Though he was looking at him from upside down, he did not look happy.

"How do you feel?"

"Like someone smashed my head into the wall," Yugi said. He needed to get up. He had a tournament to run and, under no circumstances was having his head in Yami's lap even in the realm of professional behavior. Pushing forward, Yami's hands clamped down on his shoulders, preventing his progress.

"You passed out," Yami said. "You need to take a moment."

Yugi took a breath. "I have to…"

"Yugi." Yami's voice was sharp as glass. "Relax."

"How did you even get here?" Yugi said. He closed his eyes. The light was making his headache even worse. "Where's Mana?"

"I sent her to find you something to eat and drink," Yami said. "When is the last time you ate anything?"

"How did you even find us?"

"Yugi."

Yugi sighed. "What?"

"When is the last time you ate?"

"Breakfast."

"Today?"

Yugi forced himself not to cringe. "Yesterday."

He listened to the long exhale of Yami's breath. "That is unacceptable."

"I wasn't hungry!" Yugi said. _You've totally lost control of this situation! _He opened his eyes. "Though I appreciate your help, I need to get up, Atemu-san." He tried to sit up, but Yami's hands pressed down on his shoulders, stopping him.

"Your mind disappeared from mine when you passed out," Yami said, leaning over to look at him, the lines of his frown etched deep into his skin. "I thought you were dead."

_And we're back to the crazy talk_. "Atemu-san," Yugi said, "let me up."

"No."

"No?"

Yami's eyes were narrowed. "You have run yourself to exhaustion. Not only have you disregarded my concerns," he said, "but also the concerns of your employees. I will not allow it to continue."

"You won't _allow _– " Yugi forced himself to swallow the rest of his retort. _Stay calm_. _Deep breath_. "Forgive me, but I don't think it's any of your business."

Yami looked at him for a long moment. "You truly believe that I have no reason to be concerned?"

"Yes!" Yugi snapped. _Stay calm! _"I mean – " He took a breath. "I think the manner of our relationship doesn't warrant that kind of concern."

"Would you be concerned if I were to pass out in the middle of a duel?"

"Well, of course," Yugi said, "but – "

"So you may be concerned about me but, the opposite is unacceptable?"

Yugi closed his eyes, sighing. He was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out how to work his way out the hole he'd dug for himself but, something was bugging him about what Yami had said. Would he be concerned if he passed out during a duel - ?

A wave of pure panic rushed through Yugi. "You were just starting a duel when I passed out so, how are you here now?"

Yugi's eyes flew open at Yami's silence. He flung himself upwards, vertigo creeping over him in a slow drip that started at the top of his head, working its way down his neck. "What time is it?" Yugi said, trying to read the hands of his watch but, they kept spinning together. "Atemu-san." His head was whirling again, breath caught in his throat.

"I came to find you the moment your mind disappeared from mine," Yami said.

"You walked off in the middle of a duel?" If there had been a sliver of anything in Yugi's stomach, he would have lost it on the tile below him. "I have to go," he said. "I have to deal with this." He worked his way to his feet and by the time he was vertical, he was bent over trying to catch his breath.

Yami's hands were warm against his back. "Yugi," he said, "you need to calm down."

"Calm down? I can't calm down!" Yugi said, whipping up, and instantly regretting it. The world was tilting again as he met Yami's eyes. _Don't lose it now! Calm and professional! _He took a long breath. "I apologize for that. I'm fine, really. I need to go now though." He slammed his hand against the wall, trying to keep himself steady. Head spinning, he was struggling to catch his breath as Yami moved closer. "Atemu-san, please don't – "

Yami's arms wrapped around him, yanking him into his chest. Yugi wanted to fight it with every fiber of his being but, he was slumping forward, legs bowing beneath him as he collapsed into Yami's hold. His entire body was tired, so tired. The calm was sweeping through him again, pulling the rug from under him as he tried to remember why allowing this with Yami Atemu was an absolute violation of every professional ethics rule known to man.

"Calm down," Yami said. He started moving backwards, and Yugi felt the cool press of the wall hit his back as Yami stepped closer, drawing him tight against him.

Yugi wanted to cry, actually cry tears of frustration. He knew this was wrong. He knew Yami Atemu was crazy and, yet he was still standing there letting him hold him. Yugi leaned his head forward, resting his forehead on Yami's shoulder.

_Shit_. How was it possible to feel so much better with one touch?

Yugi let out a breath, his head still buzzing. They stood there for another few minutes, and Yugi's pulse had just started to slow when he heard the squeal of tennis shoes on the tile floor. Yami loosened his hold, and Yugi spotted Mana barreling towards them.

_Double shit. _

"Mutou-sama!" Mana said. She slowed on approach, breath heavy. "I am so sorry it took me so long. I was trying to find you something to eat but then, everyone was freaking out about Atemu-san walking out in the middle of his duel and, I tried to deal with it the best that I could but all I could think was that you were here waiting!" She looked ready to burst into tears. "I was so scared. You got so pale and, I'm so sorry it took me so long."

"Mana, slow down," Yugi said. "It's okay. I'm sorry that I scared you." He shifted in Yami's arms, looking up at the older boy. "Um – Atemu-san," he said, clearing his throat. "You can let me go now."

A grin began to crack across Mana's face, her eyes ticking back and forth between the two of them as if just noticing their position. "Oh my god - I knew it!" she said. "Everyone told me I was wrong, but I knew it!"

"Mana!" Yugi said, trying to regain her attention as hearts started to bloom behind her pupils, "We're not – we're just – we're – " He sighed. "Can I just have whatever you brought me to eat?"

She handed him a candy bar, rocking back on her heels as Yami made no move to let him go. Yugi couldn't bring himself to work up the proper level of outrage. After all, the minute Yami had walked off the floor in the middle of play, Yugi had probably earned his ticket to the unemployment line. He ripped open the candy, forcing it, and the bottle of water Mana had brought, down, taking a long breath.

"Alright," Yugi said. "I'm ready." He looked up at Yami. "You can let me go."

"You need to rest," Yami said. "You can barely stand."

Yugi's eyes shifted to Mana standing a foot away, her eyes wide as she watched them. How in the world was he going to explain this to her? "I need to – "

Mana cleared her throat. "I don't meant to interrupt," she said, "but I and everyone else can take care of everything tonight, Mutou-sama. I mean, they should be starting the last duel now anyway."

Yugi narrowed his eyes at her. _Traitor. _

"You should go with Atemu-san," she said, nodding. "I'll let everyone know that you were feeling unwell, and you can get some sleep and _eat something_." She turned to Yami, hand on her hip. "Please make sure he eats dinner, Atemu-san. I'm counting on you."

The hot rush of embarrassment burned down Yugi's neck. "Mana – "

Yami nodded, and Yugi felt the vein start to tick in his forehead.

"Hold on for a – "

"Great!" Mana said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mutou-sama! Bright and early!" She turned on her heel, and Yugi could only watch as she flounced down the hall, arms swinging at her side as she picked up speed.

It was only after she turned the corner that Yugi chanced a glance back at Yami. The older boy still had him pressed against the wall, a fact that was becoming more and more apparent to Yugi as his stomach clenched with a round of butterflies. He was pinned against a wall by the King of Games, half delirious from exhaustion, and one burst of energy away from passing out again.

Yugi could only sigh - this was not how the day was supposed to go.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

Yugi was silent.

He was sitting at the desk in his hotel room, a standard single suite a few blocks from the tournament arena with low ceilings, white walls, and a set of full length windows that opened to the Komaki skyline, revealing the last wisps of sunset. Forcing down the sashimi that room service had delivered a few minutes earlier, Yugi had been trying to figure out how he was going to manage convincing the duelist standing beside him that he was, for one, fine and, second, quite able of taking care of himself without supervision.

Yami hadn't allowed more than three feet of space between them in the hour since they'd left the arena, and he had been quiet for the last few minutes as he leaned against the wall beside Yugi, arms crossed and face blank. He was paler than normal, his eyes ringed with shadows and shoulders stooped as if struggling to stand straight. He looked half ready to pass out himself.

"Are you feeling okay, Atemu-san?" Yugi said. He set down his chopsticks, pushing the plate away. He'd only worked through half of the meal but, his stomach was less than ecstatic by what he'd managed to choke down.

"The separation between us has caused strain on us both," Yami said. His eyes fell on Yugi as he pushed back his chair.

"Maybe you should sit – "

Yami shook his head.

The headache was still pounding at the back of Yugi's skull, and he rubbed the back of neck as he stood, steadying himself on the desk.

"I'd like to speak with you," Yami said.

"About the tournament?" Yugi said. "I know that you probably know that leaving in the middle of a duel forfeits your right to continue – "

"I would like to discuss the Ishtar's exhibit."

Yugi frowned. "How did you know that – ?"

"I assumed," Yami said. "You inquired about the exhibit after Malik mentioned it to you at the museum. It seemed likely that curiosity would get the better of you after Malik spoke with you last week."

Yugi rubbed a temple, head pounding harder as he glanced up at the older boy. "Is there a reason you sent back the puzzle?"

"It is yours to keep."

"Well," Yugi said, "actually it would make me feel a lot better if you took it back."

"What did you and Malik discuss last week?"

Yugi blinked at the turn in discussion. "He told me about his exhibit."

"And?"

"About meeting his boyfriend."

"And about being a hikari?" Yami said. He took a step closer, and Yugi forced himself to remain still. "What did he tell you?"

Yugi shrugged. "We only talked for a few minutes – "

"And in those few minutes, you discussed what?"

Smoothing down the material of his slacks, Yugi forced his hands to lie still at his side as Yami loomed closer. "He was just talking about when he and his boyfriend first met."

Yami was less than three feet away from him. "What else?"

"I don't know," Yugi said. He really didn't want to talk about this. "Like I said, we only talked for a few minutes. I don't even – "

"Yugi," Yami said, meeting his eyes. "Why are you anxious discussing this?"

"I'm not," Yugi said, glancing away. _Keep it together!_

"You aren't looking at me."

Yugi looked up. He really needed to get Yami out of his room. "Look, Atemu-san. I appreciate your help today but, I'm really tired and I think you should probably – " He paused as Yami moved closer. "Okay – just hold on a second."

Yami paused. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't think – " Yugi said, stopping as Yami took another step forward. Yugi stepped back. "What are you doing?"

"Moving closer," Yami said, taking another step.

Yugi retreated once more. "Well, stop."

"Why?"

Yugi sputtered. "Because – " He huffed as Yami grabbed his arm, stopping him from moving out of arm's length. " – it's inappropriate." He looked up, pulse ticking faster as he met Yami's eyes. "I'll need my arm back." He tried to tug free, frowning as the older boy's fingers tightened around his elbow.

"Our separation has caused strain on us both already," Yami said. "I won't let it continue."

"It's only been a week and a half, Atemu-san," Yugi tried tugging again, letting out a long breath as Yami refused to release him.

"Yet in that time, you have managed to run yourself into the ground," Yami said.

Yugi bit back his frustration. Why was everyone acting like he was the irresponsible one? He was doing the best he could! He had a full-time job, a flailing love life, and a duelist champion who thought he was his soulmate and was determined to cajole his way into his life no matter how hard Yugi tried to stop it. Of course he was exhausted. Of course he couldn't eat. Of course he was stressed. The universe was literally working against him every step of the way.

Yugi's head snapped up as Yami's free hand trailed down his cheek, fingers settling under his chin, urging his eyes to meet his.

"What are you doing?" Yugi said, wary. The older boy leaned down, his hand sliding to cup the back of Yugi's head. "Atemu-san, wait." Yugi tried jerking back, panicking, as the older boy moved forward. "Don't – "

Every thought in Yugi's head stuttered to a stop as Yami's lips touched his.

His pulse pounded in his ears, hand pressed against Yami's chest, paralyzed. _Push him away! _ Yugi's fingers twisted in Yami's shirt, struggling through the shock. Yami stepped closer, and Yugi's hand fell limp at his side as Yami wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him close. Yugi's eyelids fluttered closed, limbs heavy with the languid curl of smoke unfurling in his veins, urging him to relax.

The back of his knees hit the edge of the mattress, and Yugi sank back, Yami stretching over top of him as they settled back on the comforter. Kissing Yami felt good, almost too good – easing the ache in his chest like a boulder being lifted from his sternum, freeing the air in his lungs.

Yugi slid his hands over the older boy's shoulders, fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck. Yami's tongue touched his, and a corresponding pulse began south of Yugi's waistband as he parted his lips further, allowing him access. Yami's mouth slanted over his as he settled closer, a flush warming its way down Yugi's neck as their bodies brushed together once more. It was too good – too much – too good. _You're not thinking straight._

_Stop - you have to stop_. Yugi pressed against Yami's shoulders, and after a few seconds, the older boy eased back, body still stretched over him, eyes dark as they found his. Yami leaned back down, and Yugi shook his head.

"Yami, stop," Yugi said. "Wait – "

The older boy paused. "You said my name."

Yugi let out a long breath. "I'm sorry," he said. "That was inappropriate of me." _Almost as inappropriate as making out with you in my hotel room._ He pressed back against the mattress, heart pounding, as Yami leaned down again, lips brushing against his ear.

"Say it again."

Yugi froze. "I am not – " His clamped his mouth shut as Yami's tongue touched the shell of his ear, and Yugi clenched the comforter between his fingers as his slacks tightened in tandem.

"Yugi."

_This is not happening_. "Atemu-san," Yugi said. "We need to stop. Really."

Yami leaned back, weight settling over him, and the breath caught in Yugi's throat as he looked up at him. This was not happening. Not happening. Definitely not happening. He hadn't really let things get this far. It was a dream, just another dream. He was going to wake up in a few minutes and, everything would be fine. But, as Yami caught his eyes, body still pressed against him, reality was settling in on Yugi.

"Please get off of me," Yugi said, trying to harden his words, which may have been more successful if Yami hadn't been, at that moment, on top of him.

Yami was slow to slide off. Goose bumps raised on Yugi's skin at the loss of the older boy's warmth, and he crossed his arms as he sat up_,_ mind whirling as to how to deal with the train wreck he'd just created for himself.

"I'd like you to come visit me," Yami said. He was standing less than a foot away, his face still flushed and shirt askew.

Yugi's cheeks were beginning to burn as the reality of what he'd done continued to sink in. He had just made out with Yami Atemu on his bed in his hotel room. _You are literally the biggest idiot on the face of the planet. _Standing, Yugi skirted around the older boy and made a beeline for the door.

"I need you to go," Yugi said. _Because obviously being alone in the same room with you is above my rational thinking capabilities._

He jerked open the door, staring at the wall in front of him as Yami closed the distance between them. He could feel the older boy's gaze burning through him as he stopped less than a foot away.

"Yugi."

Yugi could not bring himself to look at him. After a beat of silence, Yami's hand slid under his chin, urging him to meet his eyes. Flinching back, Yugi pressed himself against the wall behind him. _Don't touch him. Don't look at him. Don't even breathe. _His head was still buzzing from the kiss, and he'd made enough poor decisions in the past few hours without having the added temptation of Yami hanging around in his room any longer.

The older boy sighed, hand falling to his side as he stepped out into the hall. Yugi closed the door behind him, securing the chain as he let out a shaky breath. After a moment, he began to pace the length of the room, trying to sort through the torrent of thoughts swirling though his head.

He'd kissed Yami Atemu. On the lips. In his hotel room. The realization was running on loop through his head. Kiss. Yami Atemu. Lips. Hotel room. _This is a disaster._

Yugi ran his fingers through his hair, trying to calm down. _Take a breath_ – _it's going to be fine_. Yami was out of the tournament, so he wouldn't have to see him the next day, and, if Yugi still had his job after the weekend was through, there would be another four months until the next tournament. Four months to get over whatever the hell had just happened.

Yugi stopped pacing. It was only six o'clock and, he needed to call his boss and let her know about Yami's forfeit. If they hadn't caught wind of it already, the media was going to have a field day with Yami's walkout, and his boss would be livid if she heard the news from the press before her own employee.

After all, Yami was the _King of Games_. He never lost and, he certainly never forfeited, and despite what he'd said, Yugi couldn't understand why the duelist champion had walked out when he had. When he'd passed out, he and Mana had been in a corridor out of sight, hundreds of feet away. Was Yugi really supposed to believe that Yami had _sensed _when he'd lost consciousness and he'd run off to find him in the middle of the duel as a result?

Yugi frowned. He would have plenty of time to wonder what in the world had possessed Yami to walk out as his boss harangued him for not tackling the duelist champion to the floor and forcing him back to his podium. Yugi grabbed his cellphone from his jacket pocket, dialing his boss' number, and rocked back on his heels as he waited for the call to connect.

It was time to face the music.

* * *

**A/N: ** Oh my dear god. This chapter was a _horror_ to get through. I swear I have been ripping it apart for _five days_ – switching paragraphs around and rewriting sentences, dialogue, and the whole freakin' shebang. However, after many versions, I've gotten it where I want it.

As a side note to that, I think it's pertinent to raise the point that sometimes writing is a _pain in the ass_. I think that sometimes new writers (many of whom lurk around Fan Fiction) make the grievous mistake of thinking that writing should be easy all the time and, really that's very far from the truth. Writing is hard sometimes! But you've got to be patient and persevere when you're struggling otherwise you never learn! That's true of everything – hobbies, skills, and life in general.

#fanfictionlifelessons


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

Yugi froze in the door.

It was a nightmare, an actual nightmare. He was hallucinating or delirious, or maybe both.

It was the day after the tournament's conclusion, and he'd been summoned to his boss' office for what he assumed to be his final kick to the curb. She had seemed calm enough when he'd first relayed the news about Yami's forfeit, and as he had worked through the rest of the tournament on Sunday, Yugi had been thinking that maybe he'd walk away from the weekend with his career intact. That was until she had called later that night, asking him to meet her in her office at 9 am the next day.

Yugi had tossed and turned the entire night, and by the time he'd reached work, he was certain that he'd be boxing up his things as soon as the hour was up. It had been a long, silent ride in the elevator and as he'd reached his boss' office, he'd been ready to hurl. The sensation only worsened when he'd opened the door.

The room was quiet as he stood rooted in the doorway, staring at the two occupants in front of him. The office was an executive suite with enough space to fit ten with ease and a set of windows opening to the blue sky stretching overhead His boss was sitting behind her desk, dark hair pulled back from her face, brows raised as she watched him. Anzu Mazaki's posture was perfect - a longstanding habit she'd told him had come from her years of ballet training as a teenager – and she loomed over the man sitting in front of her as she waited for Yugi to enter.

"What are you waiting for?" Anzu said, waving him inside. "Come in."

But Yugi couldn't move, his eyes were frozen on the back of a familiar head of spiky hair, his stomach turning as Yami Atemu turned to face him.

_Holy. Shit._

"Yugi? Anzu frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

_Move! Do something! _"Sorry, Mazaki-sama," he said, bowing. "Good morning." Straightening, he nodded his head at Yami. "Atemu-san." His pulse was thudding in his neck, and he forced his breath to stay even as he crossed the room, sliding into the chair beside Yami. _What is he doing here?!_

Anzu squinted at him, eyebrows tugged together. "You look pale," she said. "Are you feeling okay?"

Yugi was so tired of people asking him that. "Of course," he said. He wouldn't even dare to look at the duelist beside him. "I was just wondering why Atemu-san is joining us this morning."

"Kaiba Corporation is releasing a new piece of dueling technology – a portable dueling disk," Anzu said. "They want to host a joint tournament with Industrial Illusions to celebrate their breakthrough."

The blood was rushing to Yugi's head. _You've got to be kidding me._

"Atemu-san will be serving as the liaison between both companies during this process," she continued. "I'll need you to work with him to put everything together. They want to execute it all in three months, which is ridiculous – " She narrowed her eyes at Yami " – but Crawford-sama has expressed that this project should take priority over everything else."

Yugi turned his head to the side, catching as a slow smirk spread across Yami's face, gaze focused ahead. Yugi turned back to Anzu, mind whirling. He and Yami Atemu would be working together for three months. Together. For three months.

"Due to the nature of the technology, and being as nothing like this has ever been planned before," Anzu continued, "the work involved will be extensive. I know Mana is one of your best so, she will be taking the lead on the Gifu tournament so that you can focus exclusively on this project."

"Where is this being held?" Yugi said. _Focus. Stay focused._

"Here in Domino," Anzu said. "The duelists will need to purchase a duel disk to participate and, the first round will last a week beginning June 8. Finals will take place the weekend after that."

"A week?" Yugi said, leaning forward in his seat. "How are we going to manage coordinating so many matches – "

"There will be no scheduled matches until the second round," Yami said.

Yugi stiffened at the older boy's voice. He turned to look at him, attempting to dial back the glare that was reaching fiery proportions as he met the Yami's eyes. "Meaning random, unscheduled matches? How would we validate the authenticity of each win? How would we compensate for duelists who are minors? Do we expect them to be able to run around unsupervised? And what about – ?"

"These are all good questions," Anzu said, interrupting him, "and I am confident that you and Atemu-san will be able to work through all of them."

"Mazaki-sama – " Yugi said, stopping. What was he going to say – I can't work with him because we made out two nights ago and, he thinks he's an ancient pharaoh and, I am his soulmate? He bowed his head. "I'll start work immediately."

"Excellent!" Anzu said. "Of course I will be here for guidance, and Atemu-san will be visiting us here several times a week until the tournament date to help."

Yugi sputtered. "That's really not necessary – "

Anzu waved a hand. "You're going to need as much help as you can get," she said. "Plus, Kaiba Corp is chipping in more than half of the funds so we need to make sure that we are staying in line with their vision. Atemu-san will help with that. Having him on board will make things a lot easier."

_That's debatable. _Yugi nodded anyway.

"And of course, I'll need you to help steer Mana for the Gifu tournament," she said. "She knows the bases but, she will still need your guidance.

Yugi just kept nodding, half listening as the pile of his to-do list stacked higher and higher, as he attempted to swallow the realization that Yami Atemu had wriggled his way into his life once again.

* * *

Yugi tapped his pen against his desk.

Across from him, Yami was typing something on his laptop, eyes focused on the screen in front of him, the soft tap of keys following each stroke of his fingers. They'd been sitting in Yugi's office for the past three hours, trying to work through the basics of pre-planning as Yugi took a breath and resettled. It had taken a solid hour for his pulse to stop pounding with the force of his frustration and now that it had, Yugi was just confused.

No matter how hard Yugi looked, Yami didn't seem crazy. In fact, he was probably one of the most level headed people Yugi had ever met. He wouldn't waste energy pursuing something that he didn't think would pan out, which made his pursuit all the more confusing. Yugi had thrown up every road block he could think of and yet, no matter what, the older boy kept finding ways to circumvent them.

He'd done everything in his power to keep Yugi within reach, even when it meant agreeing to be friends when, based on their little roll around last weekend, his feelings obviously ran deeper. It was as if he would do anything, go anywhere, say anything to prove how committed he was to staying in his life.

Yami's eyes slid from his laptop to meet Yugi's.

"Sorry," Yugi said. He turned back to his computer, staring at the screen. Trying to focus, it took him four times of rereading the same sentence before he sighed, turning back to the older boy. "Why do you think I am this hikari person?"

Yami sat back in his chair, eyes sharp as they met Yugi's. "I knew from the moment I met you."

"How?"

"I've told you there is a connection between us," Yami said. "It has linked us together for our entire lives, lying dormant until I found you."

"But we met in January," Yugi said. "I didn't see you for more than a month later. Don't you see how I would find that kind of odd considering you're telling me you think I'm your soulmate?"

"I knew you would run if I pushed you too soon," Yami said, frowning. "It took all of my force of will to separate from you after searching for so long."

Yugi sat back in his chair, letting out a breath. "You shouldn't have kissed me."

"I had grown tired of your avoidance."

"How was I avoiding you?" Yugi said, scowling. "We had been talking for over an hour when it happened."

"At the Kyoto tournament, you asked me why I was causing trouble for you," Yami said. "I told you it was because you were nothing but polite and agreeable towards me otherwise."

"The alternative being what?" Yugi said. "Being rude and callous?"

"It's a wall," Yami continued. "You retreat behind a wall of manners in the belief that it is an exercise in professionalism but, it is simply a means to keep me at arm's length. It's what you did when I first met you, and it's what you were doing last week at the tournament."

"So, you're saying you kissed me so I would stop being polite?"

"I kissed you because being apart from you is the most difficult thing I've ever experienced," Yami said, frowning, "and I was frustrated with the wall you had erected between us."

Yugi spun a half-turn, looking to stare at the building across the way. They were both silent. "I really don't know what you want from me, Atemu-san."

Letting out a long breath, Yami shook his head. "Something you are not ready to accept."

Yugi listened to the sound of keys clicking as the older boy went back his laptop, feeling the confusing yet unmistakable feeling of guilt creeping up his throat as he turned back to his computer.

* * *

Yugi chanced a glance beside him.

The sky was alive with sunset above them, the sun low in the sky as dusk drew closer. Beside him, Yami was keeping pace, his jacket unbuttoned as they soaked in the start of spring. They had been walking for the past ten minutes, Yami headed for the train station and Yugi for his apartment, two blocks after.

Neither of them had said a word since leaving the office.

Around them, the street was snarled with traffic, but even the rumble of cars, bikes, and pedestrians did little to ease the weight of the silence hanging over them. They stopped as the light changed, people packing around them as they waited to cross.

Yugi glanced down at the ground. He wondered what his grandfather would have made of Yami's magic soulmate theory, though he had a pretty good suspicion Jii-chan would have thrown caution to the wind and jumped at the chance to hear anything and everything about the mystery of the Millennium Items. Yugi would have given anything to hear his opinion on Yami Atemu.

They continued to move forward, and Yugi jammed his hands in his pockets, siphoning the grief before it threatened to wash over him. His grandfather had been gone for three years, and it didn't do anyone any good to fixate over something that couldn't be changed.

Yugi paused as Yami wrapped his hand around his arm, stopping him from moving forward. He was about to ask him what he was doing when Yugi looked up, finding the steel overhang of the train terminal. He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he'd almost barreled past.

"Sorry," Yugi said.

Yami released him, frowning. "You're upset."

"I'm fine."

The older boy let out a breath, looking at him for a long moment. "You are the most stubborn person I have ever encountered."

Yugi scoffed. "Out of the two of us, I'm the stubborn one?" He stepped out of the way as a group of teenagers shouldered past them.

"You will not speak of anything that is troubling you without being strong-armed into it," Yami said, taking his arm and leading him to a less crowded area to the side of the terminal entrance. He didn't let go as he met Yugi's gaze. "Tell me what is bothering you."

"I told you - nothing," Yugi said, exasperated. He worked his arm free of Yami's grip, stepping back before the older boy got any ideas of a repeat performance of last weekend.

"The closer we are physically, the easier it is to sense your emotions," Yami said.

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "You think you can feel what I am feeling?"

"Grief," Yami said.

_How – ?_

"And fear," Yami continued. "You want to trust me but, you're afraid of what you will be accepting if you do."

"You're projecting," Yugi said, swallowing back the panic rising in his throat.

"Panic."

"Stop," Yugi said, crossing his arms.

"You do not have to deal with every problem on your own."

"I know that."

"Then, tell me.'

"I just –" Yugi said, letting out a long breath. He shook his head. "I miss my grandfather sometimes."

Yami was quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"I mean, it's been a few years now since he died but, I don't know," Yugi said. "He gave me a lot of advice growing up and looking back, I wish I had appreciated it more." He shrugged his shoulders, dropping his gaze. "That's it really."

Yami stepped closer, hand rising to lift Yugi's chin, eyes finding his. "Thank you."

A blush burned its way across Yugi's cheeks. "For what?"

"Telling me."

Yugi's stomach clenched as Yami's thumb brushed his chin, touch lingering for a moment before the older boy dropped his hand back to his side.

"Goodnight, Yugi," Yami said.

"Goodnight."

Yami took a step towards the station. "I will see you on Friday."

Eyebrows tugging together, Yugi was about to ask him what he was talking about when he remembered.

For the next three months, Yami Atemu was officially his business partner.

* * *

**A/N: **I have a lot going on the next few days so, I can't promise an update next week (3/15-3/21). We'll see how it goes. If I can't get something up next week, then early the week after that for sure.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

Yugi closed his office door.

He stood there for a moment, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he attempted to ward off the headache that was beginning to thrum behind his forehead. A few feet away, Yami glanced over his shoulder, giving him a long look, before returning to the papers spread out in front of him on the desk.

It had been almost two weeks since the duelist champion had been assigned as his partner and, even with the extra help, Anzu had been right, the Domino tournament was a massive undertaking. Yami had been in his office every day for the past two weeks and though Yugi wasn't sure if he was ready to admit it, the older boy had actually been a lot of help. Yami knew tournaments like the back of his hand and despite the unconventional open dueling system Kaiba Corp was insisting on, Yami seemed to have an answer to every problem that cropped up.

Taking his seat, Yugi let out a long breath. He'd just finished speaking with one of his staff, Rebecca, the youngest member of his team, who had been copping an attitude ever since Mana had been granted responsibility of the Gifu tournament. When he had pulled her aside to discuss it Rebecca had, of course, apologized for the disturbance, though Yugi had a strong suspicion she'd be sulking in her cubicle for some time to come.

"Is there a problem?" Yami said, looking up from his papers.

Yugi shifted a stack of files in front of him, flipping open the top folder. "Staff problems."

"Such as?"

"Well," Yugi said, shuffling the folder to the side and moving to the next, "one of my staff decided they weren't happy with Mana being given the lead on the Gifu tournament so they went directly to Mazaki-sama to express their displeasure."

"Mana was given the lead under Anzu's direction."

"The person didn't know that, which meant that I got a call from Mazaki-sama this morning asking me why my staff is in upheaval about putting Mana in the lead, which isn't true at all," Yugi said. He sat back, shaking his head. "Mana isn't the oldest person on the team but, everyone respects her abilities."

"You are frustrated."

"I just don't understand why someone why one of my team would go around me - I have an open door policy, and I just don't know why they wouldn't come and talk to me first," Yugi said, hearing the frustration seeping into his tone. He sighed. "Now, I'm just complaining. Sorry."

"Don't apologize," Yami said.

"I just shouldn't be wasting time," Yugi said. He gestured to the paper sprawled across his desk – permits, forms, and folders stacked into piles that seemed to multiply every time he turned his back. "We've got so much to do already."

"On Wednesday, I will be unavailable," Yami said.

Yugi nodded. Yami was only supposed to be helping him on a part-time basis anyway. "That's fine –"

"I will need you to come to my Ozu office instead."

Sitting back, Yugi frowned. "I won't have time to – "

"Seto would like to discuss the direction of the tournament."

"Your cousin?" Yugi said. "As in Seto Kaiba – the CEO?"

Yami nodded.

"It's only been two weeks since we started planning," Yugi said. "I don't think I will have that worthwhile of an update to give him."

"He has requested to meet the tournament organizer," Yami said. "It will also be worthwhile for you to see first-hand the technology that the event is inspired by."

Yugi let out a breath. It wasn't an unreasonable request to want to meet the person in charge of spending the millions of yen that Kaiba Corp had allocated for the tournament.

"I guess I will meet you in Ozu on Wednesday then."

A smile quirked at the corner of Yami's mouth, and Yugi felt his eyebrows tug together, wondering what the King of Games was thinking.

* * *

Yugi leaned closer to the window.

In front of him, the grey panels of the testing room stretched below, a lone occupant inside. Seto Kaiba was as lean as a sliver of glass, cheekbones sharp under his skin and his cloak flared around him as he stalked across the floor. A duel disk, a hunk of plastic and metal was attached to his wrist, lights blinking across the screen as two pieces of plastic burst off on either side of the disk, landing a few feet away and winking with the telltale rainbow of holographs firing to life.

Seto drew his hand, facing the computer opponent in front of him as he laid down his first card – Lord of Dragons in attack mode. Yugi felt his eyes widen, watching the monster bloom to life. Of course he'd seen holograms before, duelists had been playing in holographic dueling arenas for years but, there was something unnerving about seeing a monster outside of the borders of an arena.

They'd been in Kaiba Corp headquarters for less than twenty minutes, and Yugi was already drooling.

"That's – " Yugi said. He felt the smile stretching across his face as he turned to Yami standing a few feet behind him. "That's amazing!"

Yami nodded. "It is a great achievement."

Turning back to the window, Yugi watched transfixed as Seto continued his duel, parrying down the computer's life points in a matter of minutes. As he drew his next card, a sneer split across Seto's face and, Yugi leaned closer, waiting to see his next move.

Yugi's breath caught in his throat as a beast of muscle and wings materialized, roaring with a raging explosion of light and color. The Blue Eyes White Dragon. Drawing back from the glass, Yugi whipped his head towards Yami.

"Your cousin has a Blue Eyes White Dragon?"

"Three of them."

"How?"

Yami eyes found his, eyebrow raised. "Seto is a collector of rare cards."

_You're freaking out over nothing. _Yugi turned back to the window, watching the tail end of Seto's final attack, the computer's life points draining to zero and the Blue Eyes winking from existence as the holograph projectors booted down."It's been a while since I've seen someone play it."

The first time he'd been a child, his grandfather standing across from him in the shop, teaching him to duel and unveiling one of his greatest treasures – the rarest card of his collection. The card was one of the only things that Yugi still had of his, having sold almost everything in their apartment and the shop a few months after Jii-chan's passing. The Blue Eyes, however, was stored on the top shelf of Yugi's closet, still sitting in its plastic sheath, protected in the same wooden box where his grandfather had kept it for all of those years.

"I'm surprised you've had any experience with it," Yami said. "Only four cards were ever printed."

Yugi's eyes were still trained on Seto. The Kaiba Corp CEO was facing away from them, head tilted back as he looked up at the control booth, talking to a dark haired teenager with his forehead pressed to the glass.

"The fourth was my grandfather's," Yugi said. Yami was quiet behind him, and Yugi turned to face him. "It's just weird to see someone else play it. I didn't think the rest of them were still around."

"Seto acquired the third over a decade ago," Yami said. "It hasn't been played in a public arena since."

Yugi nodded but, something was still bugging him. He turned his head, watching as Seto turned on his heel, stalking across the floor and pushing out into the hall. "I feel like I've seen your cousin before somewhere..." Trying to shake off the lingering sense of déjà vu, Yugi shrugged. "So, are we meeting with him now or – "

The door of the viewing booth banged open, and the pair turned to meet the scowling face of Seto Kaiba, all sharp angles even in person. Yugi froze as Seto's glare fell on him. "Let's get this over with."

"Introductions typically come before barking orders, Seto," Yami said. He put a hand on Yugi's shoulder, urging him forward until they stood in front of the Kaiba Corp CEO. "This is Yugi Mutou."

Giving a quick jerk of his head, Seto looked less than impressed.

Yugi bowed. "It's a pleasure to – " He paused, rising at the sound of footsteps thundering down the hallway, tennis shoes squealing as the dark haired teenager from the control booth peeled into the room.

The boy couldn't have been older than sixteen, all gangly limbs and a head of long dark hair, eyes wide as he zeroed in on Yugi.

"He's – ?" the boy said, glancing to Yami as if waiting for confirmation.

Yami nodded.

_He's what?_

The boy frowned, sinking back on his heels. "He's shorter than I expected."

_Okay - ouch. _

"Mokuba, this is Yugi Mutou," Yami said. "Yugi - Mokuba Kaiba."

Yugi bowed, interested to how the two Kaibas were related. Other than their height, unfairly above average, Mokuba and Seto Kaiba looked nothing alike. In fact, none of them looked anything alike – the Kaiba's or Yami – making Yugi wonder if it was blood or marriage that linked them all together. .

As if reading his thoughts, Yami turned towards him. "Mokuba is Seto's brother. They founded Kaiba Corp together."

Nodding, Yugi willed himself to keep a straight face. He'd known that Seto had started Kaiba Corp with his brother but, he had no idea there was such a gap in age between them. Mokuba barely looked old enough to drive a car, let alone help run a company.

"Can we skip the drivel and get on with this?" Seto said, scowl plastered on his face. He didn't wait for a response as he turned on his heel, stalking out of the room, the clack of his boots fading down the hall.

Mokuba was quick to follow, disappearing from the room after his brother, calling his name.

Turning, Yugi met Yami's eyes, confused. "Should we be following them or – ?" He frowned at the smile on Yami's face. "What…? Why are you smiling?"

Yami shrugged. "I like having you here."

The burn of a blush worked its way up the back of Yugi's neck. "Well, I mean, thanks for showing me the Duel Disk," he said. "I know it's not being released for another month and, well – " _You're rambling. _He glanced away from Yami's gaze. "Thanks."

Shuffling forward, Yugi headed in the direction the Kaiba brothers had disappeared, Yami beside him as they entered the hallway. It was a utility corridor, wide enough to hold ten shoulder to shoulder with rows of florescent lights reflecting off the waxed tile floors.

As they walked, Yugi considered the niggle in his brain that had started the moment he'd laid eyes on Seto Kaiba. There was something Yugi was missing, something just so familiar about the Kaiba Corp CEO. It was like Yugi had seen him somewhere – not in a magazine or a newspaper – somewhere strange.

Yami's arm brushed his, and a surge of butterflies fluttered in Yugi's stomach. _Don't be stupid_, he reminded himself. But, his feet seemed determined to stay close as they walked, warmth spiraling through him with each brush of contact as he kept pace with the King of Games.

Maybe he had seen Seto at an Industrial Illusions event? No. Everyone knew Crawford-sama and Seto Kaiba had a tumultuous relationship at best, and Yugi couldn't picture Seto at one of the Crawfords' lavish parties any more than he could picture Crawford-sama enjoying a visit at the monochrome castle that was Kaiba Corp headquarters.

Shaking his head, Yami led him to a set of elevators, pushing the call button and watching the numbers tick down to their floor. Yugi looked up at him, tilting his head as he studied the older boy's profile, the memory of his uncanny resemblance to the stone carving in Malik's exhibit crashing down on him.

The exhibit.

The blood rushed to Yugi's head as he tried to remember the tablet, drawing up the memory of the Yami lookalike and the Dark Magician carved above him and the mystery man standing opposite. A man that, in retrospect, reminded Yugi of Seto Kaiba, right down to the Blue Eyes White Dragon that had been carved above his head.

In front of him, the elevator doors parted and, Yami stepped inside, eyebrow raised as he held the door, waiting for Yugi to join him. Yugi moved inside, doors swishing shut as his mind continued to whirl.

His eyes settled on the floor numbers, watching the numerals grow as the elevator rose. How was it possible that a stone from a thousand years ago could bare such an uncanny resemblance to both Yami and Seto Kaiba? When he'd first seen the engraving, Yugi had figured he'd been projecting Yami's resemblance but, with Seto…he hadn't even met Seto when he'd seen the tablet so, why would his brain be so determined to link them together so many weeks after the fact?

_Unless it is really them._

Shaking his head, Yugi dropped his eyes to the floor. That wasn't possible. Couldn't be possible. But, as the elevator glided to a stop, Yugi glanced up at Yami beside him. He was just imagining things…right? But, as he stepped out into the hall, Yugi was already sifting through his memories, trying to remember how long the Ishtar exhibit was running for.

* * *

**A/N: **Hi – I'm back. Thanks for being patient! Also, for some reason, I can't get the line breaks to work today.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

Yugi clutched his glass.

It was a Friday night, and he was standing at the bar, waiting for Mana to rejoin him. It was one of the trendier spots in Domino, a frequent for artists and designers, the décor dark and lights dimmed, allowing for patrons to linger in the pockets of shadow. The smoke from their cigarettes hung in a cloud that obscured everything but the cocktails in their hands.

Taking a sip of his drink, Yugi pressed against the bar top, resting an elbow on the glass and relishing the cool press against his skin. The place was packed with the early weekend crowd, and Yugi had lost sight of Mana a few minutes ago when she'd walked out to take a call, leaving Yugi to order another drink and stew over the mountain of work that would be waiting for him come Monday.

He'd only agreed to hang out with Mana after she told him she needed to vent about the attitude Rebecca continued to cop even after Yugi had spoken to her on Monday. The younger girl was continuing to cause problems, trying to rile up the rest of the staff into joining her cause, and Yugi was dreading the outcome if she continued. She was young and a good worker the majority of the time, and he didn't want to have to fire her over something she would regret later when jealousy wasn't clouding her judgement.

A hand clasped his shoulder, and Yugi turned expecting Mana back, eyes widening as he realized how wrong he was.

"Your tolerance for alcohol is dismal," Yami said. He glanced down at the glass in Yugi's hand and then back to his eyes, a smile working its way across his face as he propped himself against the bar.

_You've got to be kidding me._

Yugi stared at him, head fuzzy as he met Yami's eyes. He was only half way into his second round and already he was beginning to toe the line between standing and stumbling. Then again, when he'd ordered a second drink, he hadn't exactly anticipated finishing it with Yami Atemu.

"What are you – ?" Yugi closed his eyes, shaking his head. After a moment, he opened them again. "How – ?"

"Mana asked me to join you as I was leaving the office," Yami said. "I had an errand to run first."

Yugi just watched, dumbfounded as the older boy ordered a drink, accepting the glass a few seconds later and stepping closer as someone leaned around him to catch the bartender's attention.

"Speaking of Mana," Yugi said, "I am not exactly sure where she went." He turned towards the people packed behind him, hoping to catch a glimpse of his friend and level her with the nastiest glare he could manage. They'd been in the bar for at least an hour and she hadn't mentioned she'd invited Yami? Seriously?

Yami took a sip of his drink, watching him as he set down his glass. "Mana left."

Eyebrows furrowed together, Yugi shook his head. "She was just – "

"I saw her when I was walking in," Yami said. "She told me that she had to meet someone and to say goodbye for her."

"She – I – " Yugi took a long pull on his drink. _That's just great._

"Yugi?"

"Hm?"

"You're glowering."

Yugi forced a smile, setting down his glass. "I was just reflecting on my next conversation with Mana-chan." _In which I will be ripping her a new one for abandoning me in a bar with you._

"She was quite determined that I join you," Yami said. "She said you've been more stressed than usual."

"Not really," Yugi said. "You know – just busy." He looked down at the remaining liquor in his glass. "I'm actually surprised to see you here. It's only an hour or so until the last train, right?"

"I have a car service."

"Oh, right," Yugi said. He tossed back another swallow from his glass, hitting bottom.

"There is a good possibility I will need it to get you home," Yami said, smile quirking on his lips as he watched Yugi push away his empty cup, swaying slightly.

"I'm fine," Yugi said, gripping the bar top.

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Another then?"

_Uhh. _"I think I'll hold off a sec," Yugi said. He covered a yawn as the bartender, a dark haired man with a goatee, cleared his glass. Alcohol never failed to knock the energy right out of him and by the time that he hit buzzed, he was almost always ready to crawl into bed.

In fact, crashing into his mattress sounded like an excellent idea, and Yugi was already plotting his extraction plan when the bartender returned a second later, plopping down a fresh drink. "Sorry, I didn't want – "

The bartender jerked his head down the bar. "Guy over there sent it."

Searching the crowd, Yugi tried to pick out a familiar face. It only took a second to spot Ryuji, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, lucky dice hanging from his ear. _Well, shit_. Out of every person in the world, literally every human he'd ever come into contact with, Ryuji was the last person he wanted to introduce to Yami Atemu. Unfortunately for him, Ryuji was already moving from the bar, waving off his companion, a broad shouldered man with a head of spiky black hair, and navigating his way towards them.

Yugi turned to the duelist champion beside him.

The older boy's face was calm but, every line of his body had tightened, the tension of his frame crackling like ice under Yugi's skin. It seemed that Yami was as interested in meeting Ryuji as Yugi was in introducing them. Grabbing the drink Ryuji had sent, Yugi took a long swallow, alcohol burning down his throat. He was going to kill Mana for leaving him here.

"Yugi!" Ryuji said, squeezing through a group of business women clutching martinis to reach them. "Hey!" He pulled Yugi in for a hug, arm settling around him before drawing back, fingers wrapping around his arm, dark eyes finding his. "How are you?"

"I'm great," Yugi said. "How is Dungeon Dice Monsters going?"

"It's going amazing," Ryuji said. A smile broke across his face, ice clinking in his glass as he gestured wide. "The testing has been doing so well." Even in the dim lighting, Yugi could make out the splotches of red on his cheeks. Ryuji had long since coasted past buzzed.

"That's great," Yugi said. "I'm really happy for you."

"So," Ryuji said, gesturing towards Yami, "who's your look alike here?"

"Oh well," Yugi said. He managed to squirm his way free of Ryuji's grip, putting a few steps between them. "Ryuji this is Yami Atemu. Atemu-san – this is Ryuji Otogi. Atemu-san and I work together. Ryuji and I – "

"Shit!" Ryuji said, mouth falling open. "_This_ is the guy?" He held out his hand, and Yugi let out a breath of relief when Yami took it, shaking before dropping his arm back to his side. "What's up, man? You look totally different than you do on TV!"

"Yugi speaks highly of you," Yami said. His voice was calm, normal, but Yugi couldn't work up the nerve to look at him.

"He's a pretty cool guy, I guess," Ryuji said. "Can't cook to save his life though."

"Ryuji," Yugi warned.

"What?" Ryuji said, blinking. "I'm still just trying to figure out how you turned that tempura yellow."

Shaking his head, Yugi took another sip from his glass, crunching the ice between his teeth as he chanced a glance at Yami. The older boy's eyes were centered on him, still calm, but Yugi could feel the tension slithering below the older boy's skin, snapping at its chains to be set free.

"Yo, Ryuji," a voice called. The crowd parted and, Yugi caught a glimpse of Ryuji's companion, jerking his thumb towards the door. "Let's go."

"Ah, shit," Ryuji said. "I've got to bounce." He fumbled forward, hand wrapping around Yugi's arm again as he smiled. "I'll catch you later, Yug. Text me, alright?" Releasing him, Ryuji deposited his glass on the bar, saluting to Yami before working his way towards the door, crowd swallowing him whole after a few steps.

Though the bar was filled with chatter and laughter, the silence seemed to stretch as Yugi turned to Yami.

"Sorry," Yugi said, finding the older boy's eyes. "He was kind of drunk."

Yami didn't say a word, eyes still centered on him. They stood like that for another beat, quiet stretching, glasses clinking around them. Yugi dropped his eyes, tilting back his head, and drained the rest of the glass in one long draught.

Being sober was overrated.

* * *

Yugi felt amazing.

Next to him, Yami's arm was wrapped around his shoulders, guiding him up the steps and keeping him steady as he stumbled. It took them a good five minutes to navigate to the fourth floor and by the time they reached the landing, Yugi wondered why in the world he was still living in an apartment without an elevator. He could definitely afford a better apartment with that big ol' check Crawford-sama signed every week so, why was he hoofing it up and down these suckers every day again?

Yami's fingers brushed his side, delving into Yugi's coat pocket, and Yugi leaned his head back to glare at him, indignant.

"What do you think you're doin'?"

"I need your keys."

"I can do it myself," Yugi said. He worked his keys out of his pocket, fumbling for the right one and struggling to fit it into the lock. Why was this suddenly so hard? Frowning, he tried harder, blinking as the lock seemed to double on itself.

Yami's hand was warm against his back, fingers brushing his as he guided Yugi to the lock. The key slid in place, and Yami's hand closed around his as he helped him turn it free, tumblers clicking as the deadbolt slid open. There was a blush burning on Yugi's cheeks as the older boy kept his grip on his hand, helping him with the door lock before releasing him and pushing inside.

Hitting the light, Yami stepped in first, closing the door behind them as Yugi followed suit.

"I'm tired," Yugi said. He was exhausted, so freaking exhausted.

"You should sleep," Yami said, hand reaching out to steady him as Yugi's world started to tilt to the side.

"I just have to – " Yugi said. He stopped, a realization clicking home. "You probably shouldn't be here."

"Why is that?"

"Because!" Yugi said, leaning closer. He blinked as Yami seemed to double before coming back into focus. "You think all this stuff about me, and then we kissed, and – we really shouldn't have done that."

Yami brushed the hair back from his face, hand settling at his chin, tilting his head up. "Why not?"

"_Because_," Yugi huffed. Yami was freaking hardhead through and through. "I've told you like a zillion times that I have to be professional!"

"I think it's a little late for professional tonight," Yami said, his thumb fanning across Yugi's cheek.

Yugi swallowed back the butterflies building in his stomach. "I am the _epitome _of professional." He reached out both hands, settling on Yami's chest as he steadied himself as the older boy dropped his hand. "I am just really tired right now though."

Yami's eyes stayed on his for a beat longer.

Yugi bit his lip as he stared up at him. He wouldn't argue that the King of Games was freaking hot – next level eye candy really – but he was also stubborn and quiet, and Yugi never knew what the hell was going on in that head of his. It was annoying. The only time Yugi could ever remember having a clue what the hell was going on in the older boy's head was during that kiss over a month ago – after all, it was hard to be confused about someone's intentions when their tongue was in your mouth.

Yugi wondered what it would be like to kiss him again – just to make sure he had imagined it being so good the first time. Just one little peck. A tiny little blip on the radar, an experiment really, a tiny test and then, he could put the whole silly crush to bed. No one would ever know.

Stumbling forward, Yugi leaned up, and pressed his lips to the King of Games'.

Yami's lips were warm under his, the entire length of his body tensing as Yugi's fingers tangled in his shirt, hoping for better leverage as he stepped closer. Damn - he hadn't imagined it. Kissing Yami felt good. Too good. Too amazingly good to be real. _That's enough. _But, Yugi wasn't ready to stop – he didn't want to stop. He touched his tongue to the seam of Yami's lips, hoping for entrance as the older boy remained rigid in front of him.

It took a few seconds before Yami's lips parted and as Yugi touched his tongue to his, Yami relaxed, his muscles easing as his hands cupped the side of Yugi's face, tilting his head back and claiming his mouth. Yugi swallowed the groan building in his throat as Yami continued to kiss him, the older boy's hands sliding through his hair, jerking him closer. It felt like heaven - the deep satisfaction of sliding a puzzle piece in place, complete a last. But, it only lasted a second.

Yami ripped free of Yugi's hold, lips disappearing and leaving Yugi blinking, clutching empty air, lips swollen and panting, as Yami backed towards the front door. Yugi stepped closer, and Yami held out a hand, shaking his head.

"I apologize," Yami said. He wasn't looking at him, not even in his general direction. "But I must say goodnight."

Guilt was a lead weight in Yugi's stomach. Was Yami mad at him? "Well, hold on a second – "

But Yugi was talking to empty air, the door clanging shut as Yami Atemu hightailed it out of his apartment without another word. Confused, Yugi stood there for a second, hands shaking as he walked the door and did up the locks, fumbling for a bit. Had the kiss been bad? Or maybe Yami hadn't wanted him to kiss him? Head spinning, Yugi clutched the wall as he made his way to his bedroom.

He was so going to kill Mana come Monday.

* * *

**A/N: **Yugi's going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning. ;)


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

Yugi blinked awake.

He clutched his skull, head pounding as he squinted in the morning light slanting through his bedroom window. _Ow. _He rolled onto his back, wearing his jacket and the clothes from the night before, neck stiff from sleeping at such an odd angle His stomach was churning as he stared up at the ceiling. He was hungover – he was _never_ hungover. Then again, he also never forced himself on people, especially people he worked with.

Slapping a hand over his eyes, Yugi's stomach twisted, tangling as the guilt and embarrassment washed over him. He'd been keeping his distance from Yami for _months_, staying professional and rejecting the older boy's obvious feelings for him, and in one moment, one incredibly stupid, selfish moment, he'd screwed up everything. He'd kissed him – wrapped his fingers in his shirt and kissed him without even considering the consequences.

_You are the biggest jerk on the face of the planet. _Yugi couldn't deny that Yami had a lot of admirable qualities. The older boy was smart and good looking, and when he wasn't driving Yugi crazy, it wasn't horrible spending time with him but, that didn't give him an excuse to take advantage of him. He knew that Yami liked him – the guy believed he was his freaking soulmate for god's sake – but, that didn't give him any excuse for taking advantage of that– for kissing him just because he wanted to.

His grandfather would have been ashamed of him.

Closing his eyes, Yugi let the pain of the hangover settle in on him. He deserved it – every single moment. In his pocket, his phone buzzed and, Yugi checked the message, finding a seven message series of apologies from Mana for abandoning him. Apparently, with the stress of the week, she had forgotten her friend was coming into town and expecting her to pick him up from the train. When he'd called she was already ten minutes late, plus the fifteen minutes it would take to get to the station, and luckily, she'd seen Yami in time to let him know that she had to run.

Sighing, Yugi set his phone on the end table, closing his eyes as his head continued to pound. He wasn't mad at Mana. He was mad at himself – at the entire situation. He'd screwed up, and he was going to have to make things right, meaning yet another awkward conversation with the King of Games. _Sorry I kissed you. The thing is, even though I think you're completely crazy, I also think you're pretty hot and smart and well, apparently my first instinct while drunk is to make out with you. _

Yugi groaned. He was never drinking again.

* * *

Yugi was ready to pass out.

It wasn't the hangover, which had eased after he'd chugged a glass of water and a few aspirin, but rather the person standing in front of him. Yami Atemu was leaning against the doorjamb of Yugi's front door, plastic bag hanging from the crook of his arm. The older boy's face was calm as he surveyed Yugi, who was queasy and wearing Duel Monster pajama bottoms in the middle of the afternoon, hair still damp from his shower.

"Atemu-san," Yugi said, eyes wide. "I – uh – hi. What are you doing here?"

"Checking on you," Yami said. He brushed inside, bag rustling and leaving Yugi standing in the doorway, watching over his shoulder as the older boy disappeared into the kitchen.

_Okay…_ Yugi closed the door, trailing down the hall, stomach knotting once more. He'd thought he had days not hours to figure out how to explain and separate himself from the whole debacle and now, Yami was in his apartment, in his kitchen – Yugi stepped across the threshold – making tea.

"Atemu-san?"

Yami glanced up at him in the middle of opening a canister of ginger tea, completely blasé, like they were sitting in Yugi's office going over the week's to-do list. Except they weren't in his office – they were in his apartment, and Yugi wasn't in a shirt and tie – he was in his pajamas, Duel Monster pajamas at that, head throbbing, pale, and nauseous.

"You brought tea…"

Raising an eyebrow, Yami glanced down at the container.

"I mean – " Yugi shook his head. _Way to state the obvious, idiot_. "I have mugs. I mean – duh – I have mugs. I meant, I have a strainer." He crossed the kitchen, opening the drawer to get his tea sieve. _Awkward. Awkward. Awkward. _Setting the strainer on the counter, he watched as Yami turned to the sink, filling the kettle he'd retrieved from the stove.

"About last night," Yugi said. The rest of his sentence fled from his head as Yami turned to look at him, tap running. Yugi swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm really sorry."

Yami killed the water, silence stretching between them as he lifted the kettle, placing it on the stove, burner clicking to life. "Your apology is unnecessary."

"I shouldn't have – " Yugi shook his head. "I just – I am sorry. It was inappropriate and, we've been working really well together and, I shouldn't have done that. I was drunk and, I wasn't thinking."

Yami leaned back against the counter, eyes watching him. "Why did you do it?"

"Because – " Yugi said, stopping before he could come up with an excuse. He was tired of making excuses and after his behavior the night before, there didn't seem like much of a point. "I like you." Yami stood from the counter, angling towards him, and Yugi shook his head, holding out a hand. "Wait, just wait." The older boy frowned but obeyed, leaning back against the counter. "Even if I could get past the professional ethics of us being together, our core beliefs are just too different for us to be compatible. I can't be with someone who believes that I am someone that I am not."

"Why don't you believe it?"

Yugi blinked. "Huh?"

"You are adamant that magic cannot exist, that the bond between us is imagined," Yami said. "What is your reasoning?"

"Well," Yugi said, "other than it being impossible?"

Behind him, the kettle began to squeal, and Yami took the canister of tea, measuring a few spoonfuls into the water. "Why impossible?" he said, glancing at the clock on the wall before leveling his gaze on Yugi.

"Because magic isn't real."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm 24 years old," Yugi said, exasperated. "and I've never seen it or heard of it outside of fiction."

"Magic is not as it is portrayed on television," Yami said. "It is divided into two worlds. The one in which we live, and the shadow realm."

Yugi sighed.

"There is no life in the shadow realm," Yami said. "It is a place where souls are corrupted and, even those that manage to escape harbor the taint of its darkness." He turned to the stove, turning off the gas and taking the kettle from the burner, eyebrow raised as he turned to Yugi. "You said you have mugs?"

Yugi retrieved two cups, setting them out and watching as Yami strained the tea, silence stretching between them. After a moment, Yami handed him a mug, gesturing to the table and following as Yugi took a seat.

Yugi blew on his tea, breathing in the sweet undertone of ginger. Ginger tea to settle a nauseous stomach. Right. Thoughtful – another annoyingly good quality of Yami Atemu's.

"The shadows live inside of me as they do the other six wielders of the Millennium Items," Yami continued. "We are born of the darkness of the shadow realm."

Yugi watched the older boy over his mug. "Doesn't that make you the bad guy in this story?"

"It's possible."

Yugi lifted an eyebrow, confused.

"The draw of shadow magic is a strong one," Yami said. "It has led many of the Millennium Item wielders astray and in the past, those discretions threatened the stability of the universe. However, with our rebirth, the gods guaranteed a balance be met."

"Meaning?"

"Light," Yami said, meeting his eyes. "Seven hikaris to balance the darkness in the seven yamis who wield the power of the shadows."

"The role of a hikari being what?"

"To keep a yami from delving into madness."

Yugi frowned. "How?"

"By utilizing the connection born between us," Yami said. "Ensuring that no matter what occurs, how dark the yami may turn, there is always one person, one failsafe to draw them back from the shadows."

"Yeah, but what if that person dies?" Yugi said. He cupped his mug, the heat seeping into his skin. "That wouldn't really work as a failsafe then would it?"

"If a hikari perishes, their soul lives on in tandem with their yami."

Looking down at his mug, Yugi stared at the remaining liquid. It was obvious that Yami was confident in what he was saying but, having a full backstory didn't make a crazy story any less crazy – if anything it made it more so.

"I still just don't – "

Yami shook his head, interrupting him. "When you are around me – how do you feel?"

_Uhhhh_. "I feel – " Yugi paused, blanking. "The way you normally feel when you like someone, I guess."

"Which is how?"

Yugi sighed. He really didn't want to talk about this. "Atemu-san…"

They stared at each other for a moment, at an impasse.

Yami was the first to blink. "You wished to made amends for last night," he said. "I have discerned how you may do so."

"Which is how?" Yugi said, wary.

"You will meet me in Ozu tomorrow – "

A million objections sprung to the tip of Yugi's tongue but, he was quiet as the older boy continued.

" – so that I may introduce you to another hikari ."

Every part of Yugi wanted to say no. It was completely in his right to say no, refuse the crazy idea for what it was, but, it had also been completely _not_ in his right to jerk Yami around by kissing him when he had no intentions of moving forward. Taking a deep breath, Yugi pressed his fingers against the smooth ceramic of his mug. He really didn't want to go. He didn't want to hear anyone else spouting the same crazy story Yami was. He didn't want to get any more involved than he already was. In fact, he really didn't want to deal with any of this.

Three months ago, he'd been running a successful career with a burgeoning love life and a lot less stress. His life had been fine, good even, and then Yami Atemu – Yami Atemu and all the crazy that came with him. He was a stubborn, unrelenting, calculating pain in Yugi's behind, and yet he'd wriggled his way into his life, uninvited, and it didn't seem like he was getting rid of him for the foreseeable future.

Sighing, Yugi forced himself to nod. "Alright – but after that we can drop this?"

Apparently, his question had come off more rhetorical than he intended because Yami said nothing, rising his mug in a silent salute and finishing off his tea before lowering his cup, a smile on his face.

Yugi frowned. "What?"

The older boy shrugged, shifting in his chair, leg brushing Yugi's under the table, resting there, the heat of his knee warm against Yugi's thigh. "You have duel monsters on your pajamas."

Blush coloring his cheeks, Yugi smoothed down the cotton of his pants, the smiling face of the Dark Magician Girl beaming up at him. "You know, one day I am going to catch you in a flustered moment and, it's going to be the most satisfying moment of my life."

Yami only shrugged, smile still tugging on his lips as he sat back in his chair, and it was at that moment Yugi wondered what it would be like to see the King of Games undone, behind all the confidence and charm, just a person, not a co-worker or a celebrity, just a man.

Frowning at the thought, Yugi finished his tea. His nausea had eased almost completely and as he stared down in the empty cup, Yugi allowed himself the briefest moment to wonder how he'd managed to dig himself so deep without even noticing.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **An extra-long chapter for you today. :)

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

* * *

Yugi stared at the door in front of him.

It was seven minutes till noon and, he'd been taking refuge in the floor lobby for the past minute and a half, dragging his feet. Behind him, the elevator was a soft hum as it rose and descended, and Yugi swallowed the nerves twisting in his stomach. The floor lobby was dedicated to Yami's personal use, and though the elevator had been whirring since depositing him on the floor, the gilded doors had yet to part again.

Yugi rocked back on his heels, half torn between chastising himself acting like a chicken or just making a run for it. He wasn't optimistic about making a repeat visit to Yami's apartment but, the alternative was meeting in public, and Yugi knew they'd be tempting fate after being so sloppy with the amount of time they'd been spending in public in Domino. The last thing he needed was to end up back in the internet gossip rags, a new round of photographers huddled outside his door, and Mazaki-sama asking why he and the King of Games were spending so much time together outside of work.

The hum of the elevator swelled as the car ascended and, Yugi raised his arm to knock on Yami's door. It had been almost five minutes since he'd taken up residence on the duelist champion's doormat and, it was well past time to face the music. He froze as the elevator chimed behind him. Chancing a glance over his shoulder, he flinched as the doors began to part, revealing a lone occupant.

The man was a shock of pale skin and white hair, his eyes widening as they settled on Yugi. He stepped from the elevator, clothes tailored to the svelte build of his frame and his features brightening as a smile split across his face.

"Yugi Mutou?" he said.

Yugi nodded as the elevator doors slid closed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the boy said. He bowed deep, hair tumbling over his shoulders and, Yugi returned the gesture, processing. "My name is Ryou. I am the hikari of the Millennium Ring." His Japanese was formal, the lilt to his pronunciation hinting to a home country far outside the borders of the Asia-Pacific. Ryou's gaze shifted to Yami's front door before focusing back on Yugi. "Is Yami-san not home? I was sure he'd said noon."

"Oh, sorry," Yugi said. "I'm sure he's home. I was just…" _Hiding out here_. He trailed off, unable to work up a decent excuse.

"Hoping he'd forget?" Ryou offered, smile tugging on the corner of his lips.

A flush flared across Yugi's cheeks. "Sorry," he said. "It's just…"

"You believe the entire hikari concept is absurd," Ryou finished.

"Well," Yugi said, "a little bit - yeah."

Ryou nodded. "I felt the same way until about a month ago." He offered another smile, gesturing to the door. "We should probably continue this conversation with Yami-san though."

"Right," Yugi said. He turned to the door, raising his hand to knock.

"Mutou-san?"

Yugi turned.

"It does get easier," Ryou said.

"What does?"

"Being around your yami," Ryou said. "It is intense at first but, it gets easier."

Heat creeping up the back of his neck, Yugi turned back to the door, startling as it opened before he could knock. Yami stared at him, eyebrow raised. _Busted._

"Hello, Yami-san," Ryou said, stepping forward to join Yugi at the door. "I must apologize – I was so anxious to speak with Mutou-san that I delayed us."

Yami opened the door further, offering his welcome and allowing Ryou entrance, smirk drawing on his lips as Yugi followed suit, removing his shoes and shuffling after Ryou as he moved further inside. The apartment was the same as it had been those weeks ago, and Yugi took a breath, hoping to ease the nerves that had ratcheted inside of him once more.

It was ridiculous being nervous. It wasn't like he hadn't been in Yami's apartment before, and he'd been spending practically half of his time with the older boy at work without a problem. _Which was before you kissed him and told him you're into him_, he reminded himself. He wrung his hands together, watching as Ryou took a seat on the sofa, posture immaculate as he glanced out the window.

Yami's footsteps were soft behind him, hand settling on his back as he reached him, leaning close to whisper in his ear. "Your anxiety is needless."

The contact was robbing Yugi of his nerves, and he nodded, forcing himself to stop fidgeting and drop his hands to his sides. He jumped forward as Ryou turned to look at them, a smile on his face as Yugi strode into the living room, taking the loveseat across from him. After a moment, Yami joined them, leaving less than a foot between them as he took his seat beside Yugi.

"I was just starting to tell Mutou-san about meeting Bakura," Ryou said, hands folded in his lap, shoulders straight. He didn't look that much older than Yugi but, he had the natural confidence of someone well beyond his years.

Yami nodded, and Yugi realized how similar their temperaments seemed – calm, put together, confident. Yugi squelched the jealously bubbling inside of him at the other boy's bearing; it was annoying how, no matter how much time he spent with him, he still got flustered when Yami was around.

"I met my yami, Bakura, almost a year ago," Ryou said, eyes finding Yugi's. "I am a curator at the Kyoto Museum of Art, and I met Bakura one night when I was working late. He was attempting to steal one of the paintings from an exhibit I was overseeing." He shook his head, composure wavering for the briefest of seconds as he took a moment to roll his eyes. "Granted, our relationship didn't begin on the best footing."

Yugi tried to imagine the composed boy in front of him pairing off with a criminal – finding his conjured image of a burly thug next to Ryou a little less than believable.

"However, after I managed to convince him to leave the paintings where they were, he told me I was his hikari," Ryou continued. "I was of course, disturbed, by the idea, and asked him to leave, which he did – for a while – until he showed up at one of the museum's board meetings a few weeks later. He'd conned his way into getting a seat."

Yugi shot Yami a look. It seemed that it was common practice in the older boy's circle to maneuver into places where they weren't exactly welcome.

"I was horrified but, I didn't know how to get rid of him. I had no proof that Bakura had been in the museum that night, and the board all believed he was some sort of rich business man," Ryou said. "The situation was less than ideal, especially when Bakura started showing up in other facets of my life. It took over half a year before I was willing to share even the most basic information with him but once I started – it became difficult to stop. Eventually, I was forced to accept the truth of our relationship."

"What changed?" Yugi said, feeling Yami's gaze turn to him. He started wringing his hands. "I just mean, you said you knew how irrational the whole thing was but, you changed your mind anyway."

"I fell in love with him." Ryou gave him a small smile. "It wasn't until then that I really understood what Bakura had meant about being born for each other."

Yugi forced himself to stop fidgeting, sending a glance Yami's way. The older boy was watching him, gaze locking on his before Yugi turned back to Ryou.

"I can't convince you of anything, Mutou-san," Ryou said, "but I can tell you that when I was in your shoes, I thought the whole concept of soulmates was ludicrous. When I met Bakura, he was," he paused as if searching for a word, "wild. We didn't get along at first but, as time went on, I watched him struggle to become a better version of who he'd been. I know you don't know Bakura. But, I'm sure that Yami-san would vouch for the drastic change in his attitude since we've met."

"Bakura was uncontrollable before meeting Ryou," Yami said, voice flat.

"And it was seeing that change that was the deciding factor for me that he was telling the truth about me being a hikari," Ryou said. "Some of the time, I still stand back and wonder how I got roped up in all of this but, even with as our differences, I don't know if I could live without Bakura anymore."

Yugi resumed his hand wringing, pausing as Yami's hand slid over his knee, fingers warm through the material of his slacks. A moment later, Yugi could feel the sloping of his shoulders as the tension drained from his frame, anxiety easing into calm.

Ryou was smiling when he met his gaze. "To be honest, I think _that_ was one of the most frustrating things about getting to know Bakura."

Yugi blinked, confused. "Sorry – what was?"

"That no matter how annoyed or anxious or scared I was, Bakura could just touch me, and everything just slipped out of my fingers," Ryou said. "It's sort of terrifying when you're giving your all in trying to keep someone at arm's length."

"It's not exactly playing fair," Yugi said, chastising himself the moment the words left his mouth. _You're not supposed to be agreeing with him. _He sent a sidelong glance Yami's way, ignoring the smirk quirking on the older boy's lips, fingers squeezing his knee.

A smile split across Ryou's face, gaze flickering to Yami before returning. "I've met most of the yamis at this point, Mutou-san, and unfortunately, I can guarantee that none of them play fair."

_Not surprising._

Ryou rose from his seat. "I hope that I was able to help a little, but I am afraid I have an appointment to go to." He reached in his pocket, and Yugi stood as the other boy pulled out his business card, offering it to him. "Call me for anything, really. I didn't meet the other hikaris for several months after meeting Bakura, but it was a nice relief to talk to someone else going through the same thing as me."

Yugi nodded, slipping the card in his pocket and trailing after Yami and Ryou as they made their way to the door. He waited in the hallway as Ryou slipped on his shoes, gaze flickering to Yugi as Yami said something to him. Ryou nodded, waving before disappearing into the hall, door clicking shut behind him.

Alone with the King of Games again.

"Ryou-san is nice," Yugi offered, watching as Yami crossed the distance between them.

Yami shook his head. "You call Ryou by his first name but not me."

"He didn't tell me his surname when we were introduced!" Yugi sputtered. He soured as he saw the smirk crossing Yami's face. "You're teasing me."

The older boy only shrugged as he led him further into his apartment. "I don't believe it is an unreasonable request to be addressed by my first name, if only in a private setting."

"I'm not sure about that."

"Your reasoning being?" Yami said as they crossed the threshold into the kitchen. The room was wide and gleaming, appliances sparkling with the flair of either a maid service or a stringent cleaning schedule.

"Well," Yugi said. _The last time I said your first name I was laying on a bed, underneath of you. _"It's pretty personal to call someone by their first name."

Yami opened the refrigerator, removing a serving container. "I call you by your first name."

"You call everyone by their first name."

"I was born in Egypt; I don't subscribe to honorifics," Yami said, closing the refrigerator door and setting the container on the counter.

"Then why does it matter if I do?"

Yami opened a cupboard, retrieving two plates, before moving to the next cabinet. "It is an unnecessary barrier between us." He set out two glasses, opening a drawer.

"How so?"

Glancing over at him, Yami frowned. "You call me by my surname to maintain a level of distance, professional and personal between us."

"That's not – " _Uggggh. _Yugi sighed. "I don't see what the big deal is."

"Then you should have no qualms about using my first name in private," Yami said. He closed the drawer, chopsticks in hand before striding over to the kitchen table.

Yugi stood there for a moment, watching him set out the plates, returning to fill the glasses and retrieve the serving dish, setting them on the table. After a moment, Yami turned to look at him, waiting.

"You made lunch?" Yugi said, joining him at the table. He watched as Yami uncapped the dish, revealing a bowl of hiyashi chukka, the noodles piled with a myriad of toppings, vegetable, protein, and otherwise, arranged in a rainbow of color. Taking his seat, Yugi waited as Yami served them both before joining him at the table.

"I didn't know you knew how to cook," Yugi said, eyes widening as he took a bite. It was delicious, seasoned and prepped with the obvious skill of an experienced cook.

"My mother taught me as a child," Yami said. "She was adamant that I was raised as normally as possible despite my lineage."

"I guess I just figured that you would have a chef," Yugi said.

"I wouldn't waste the time of others for a task I can complete easily on my own."

"No maid either?"

Yami shook his head.

"So, you do your own laundry?"

Yami nodded.

"Make your own bed?"

Another nod.

"I'm kind of impressed," Yugi admitted, fiddling with his chopsticks. "I always thought you'd be too busy for all of that."

"There are millions of people who manage a vigorous schedule without a full staff of servants."

Yugi shrugged. "Sure, but most people aren't celebrities."

"I was never raised to allow my social status to determine my ability to do common chores," Yami said.

Yugi turned back to his plate, working his way through the rest of his meal, mind wondering through his conversation with Ryou. The other boy had seemed normal enough and, he'd been pretty adamant about his story. The meeting hadn't inspired any revelations about jumping on board the ancient pharaoh-soulmate train, but it was interesting that Yami really wasn't the only one wrapped up in the Millennium Item fever. Ryou had seemed pretty level headed, just like Yami, Malik, and even Crawford-sama– so how could so many rational people believe in something so outlandish?

Yugi stared down at his empty plate, jerking up from his seat as the older boy started to stand and clear the dishes. "Hold on a sec – last time you ate at my apartment you did the dishes," he said, holding out a hand to stop Yami from clearing. "It's definitely my turn." He frowned as Yami shifted to collect the remaining plate from the table. "I'm insisting, really."

Yami looked at him, smile quirking on his lips as Yugi took hold of the other side of the plate in his hands. They stood there for a moment, staring at each other, but Yugi held firm. He wasn't letting Yami push him around anymore. If the older boy thought he could just steamroll over him every time he didn't agree with something then he had another thing coming.

Yugi jerked his head back as Yami leaned forward and pressed his lips to his.

Eyes wide, Yugi kept his grip on the plate. "What – ?"

Yami's lips touched his again, hand sliding to cup the back of his head, keeping him steady. Yugi's stomach was doing cartwheels as Yami's tongue touched his, their mouths fused together. Grip loosening, Yugi barely noticed the plate being plucked from his fingers, ceramic rattling as Yami dumped it on the table. The older boy filled the gap between them, free hand sliding down Yugi's back, pulling him closer, and Yugi's eyes fluttered closed.

Yami's fingers plowed through his hair, tilting his head back for better access. Yugi slid his hands over the older boy's shoulders, hooking his arms around his neck. _Y__ou shouldn't be – _Yugi shuddered as Yami's fingers skimmed under his shirt, skin hot against his bare back. He choked down a breath as Yami's fingers trailed forward, brushing the stretch of skin just above his belt buckle.

_Stop_ – _you need to stop_. But his mouth was still pressed to Yami's, the older boy's fingers working magic as they trailed down to – Yugi jerked, hard, breaking away from Yami's mouth as he struggled to catch his breath, gulps of air that became gasps, moans, fumbling for Yami's zipper to his mirror his hold, the older boy's breath catching, frame tensing as Yugi's hands took on a mind of their own.

The kitchen wall was a cool press against Yugi's back, grounding him as he struggled to think, breathe, and remember where he was and who he was with. But it was too late, he was crumbling, collapsing back against the wall, boneless, the older boy's weight pressing against him as they struggled to regain their breath. Yugi's hands were shaking, legs wobbly beneath him as Yami leaned back, meeting his eyes.

_Say something! _But the words were rearranging themselves in Yugi's head, swirling as he tried to make sense of the situation. They'd only been bickering about dishes – how had they gotten so off track in such a short amount of time? Yami's fingers were insistent at his chin, urging Yugi to look at him, crimson eyes searching his.

Yugi's stomach dropped, heart pounding faster as the realization hit him, slamming into him like a palette of bricks, a power outage in the middle of a tournament, a cresting of ocean before dragging him down, squeezing the breath from his lungs as he struggled to resurface.

He was falling for Yami Atemu.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took a while.

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

* * *

Yugi glanced beside him.

It was Wednesday night, and he was headed home, Yami next to him as the older boy made his way to the train station. The sun was low in the sky, the beginning of sunset blooming as dusk crept closer. It was the second time they'd seen each other since their activities in the older boy's kitchen three days earlier, but neither of them had mentioned a word about the past weekend, their conversations business only as they worked towards the tournament looming a few weeks ahead.

The air was heavy with the humidity of late spring, and the evening rush hour was packed around them as they walked. Silence stretched between them, carrying with it the unspoken weight of the topic neither of them had yet to broach. They'd made out twice in a seventy-two hour period. The first time could have passed as a fluke, a drunken mistake, but a second time, sober and arguing over dishes?

Yugi swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn't know what to say. Everything had gotten out of control so quickly. A few weeks ago, he was ducking the duelist champion's advances every chance he got and now…now he was getting sloppy, with his behavior and his heart.

He'd practically sprinted out of Yami's apartment on Sunday afternoon, tossing his goodbye over his shoulder as he put some much needed distance between himself and the duelist champion. However, when Monday morning had come, Yami had, had no comment to offer on their weekend activities, and they'd dived straight into work without a whisper of the previous few days.

The pair shuffled to a stop at a crosswalk, traffic rumbling past them as they waited for the light to change. The weight of the silence between them seemed to grow heavier with every passing second. _Just say something! _Yugi told himself. But the words were snarled in his head, rearranging themselves as he tried to find the right combination.

His frustration only built as they reached the train station. He couldn't sit through another day with the older boy in his office, neither of them acknowledging the elephant in the room. They'd kissed…twice. It happened, and no amount of avoiding it was going to make it go away.

"Atemu-san." Yami turned to look at him. "Do you have a second to talk – I just – " His gaze wavered to the crowd moving around them. There was way too many people for a private conversation. "Would you mind coming over so I can talk to you about something?"

Yami only nodded, resuming his place at his side as they continued the extra few blocks to Yugi's apartment. The silence rested the last of the trip, and as Yugi fumbled with his keys, awkwardness was a heavy weight as he remembered the last time Yami had helped him, drunk and stumbling, get into his apartment. He worked through the deadbolt and door lock in record time.

Stepping inside, he hit the lights as Yami followed suit, trailing after him as he made his way to the living room. Yugi lingered by the couch, his stomach churning with the nerves that had been building since Sunday night when the reality of the predicament had begun to sink in.

"I just wanted to talk about last weekend," Yugi said. "Things got a little out of hand."

"That was made evident by your abrupt departure Sunday afternoon."

Yugi winced. "I just didn't – " He stopped, letting out a breath. "I just don't know how to handle this. I've tried so hard to – " He shook his head, closing his eyes as he rubbed a hand down his face. "This entire thing has gotten so out of hand, and I don't know what to do."

Yami was quiet in front of him, and after a few seconds, Yugi glanced up.

"May I see the Millennium Puzzle?"

Yugi processed the words, confused by the turn in conversation. "Well – I mean – yeah. Let me just – " He made his way to his bedroom, digging the puzzle box out from his closet, and lugging it back to the duelist champion who had taken a seat on the couch. Yugi set the box on the table in front of him, skirting the coffee table to take a seat beside the older boy.

Yami opened the lid, setting it to the side and removing the puzzle from the box, eyes transfixed as he turned the metal over in his hands.

"Atemu-san," Yugi said, watching the older boy. "What is this about?"

"You haven't touched the puzzle since you've completed it," Yami said. His gaze trailed to Yugi's. "I'd like you to now."

Yugi swallowed back the panic rising in his throat, the memory of the nightmare he'd had after he'd completed the puzzle flashing through him – the searing feel of the metal burning its way under his skin. "I really don't think – "

"Trust me."

Yugi glanced down at the puzzle, resisting the urge to lean away as the older boy held it out to him. "I – " He met Yami's eyes, the weight of the older boy's stare wearing down his reluctance. He let out a sigh, reaching forward, a shiver, tremendous in its intensity, rolling down his spine as his fingers brushed the metal still resting in Yami's palms.

Goose bumps broke across Yugi's arms as he lifted the puzzle, taking it in hand, gold cool against his skin as he rested the puzzle on his lap, hands cupped around it.

"Yugi."

Yugi turned to the older boy. "What?"

Yami's face was calm, eyes locking on his. "Yugi."

Blinking, Yugi shook his head. For a second, it had seemed like Yami's lips hadn't been moving. "What?" he repeated, confused by the frustration crossing the older boy's face.

"_We are able to share thoughts while either of us touch the puzzle._"

The puzzle thunked to the floor as Yugi shot off the couch, dumping the artifact as he stepped back. His hands were shaking, and he flinched as Yami stood. The older boy was quick to follow, grabbing his arm and preventing him from moving further away.

"Calm down." Yami's voice, out loud this time, was hard with the command. "You're not breathing."

Yugi's heart was rapid in his chest. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move. People couldn't talk in other people's heads. It wasn't possible – wasn't – Darkness was edging his vision.

"Yugi." Yami was gripping his shoulders, voice tight.

He gasped as Yami pressed his lips to his. Rearing back, Yugi gulped down oxygen, Yami's hands still clutching his shoulders as he struggled to fill his lungs.

"How did you – ?" Yugi shook his head, coughing as his lungs demanded more air. Yami was insistent as he led him back to the couch, urging him to sit. The older boy took the place beside him, scooping up the puzzle from the ground and setting it on the coffee table.

"How did you do that?" Yugi said as he recovered his breath. "That was – it couldn't have..."

"The puzzle links us," Yami said. "We are able to share thoughts while either of us is touching it. The more connected we are, the stronger the ability."

"What?" Yugi said. His mind was racing. Everything Yami had told him about the puzzle – magic – it couldn't... He pressed his hand against his chest, breath evening as Yami watched him, face blank. Turning to the puzzle on the table, Yugi stared at the gold, pausing for a moment before laying his hand on top, looking back to the older boy.

"_Yugi_."

Yugi ripped his hand away at the older boy's voice in his head. It was insane – a trick – impossible. Standing from the couch, Yugi wrung his hands, circling the coffee table as he began to pace the length of the living room. It wasn't possible…couldn't be possible, but Yami's voice had been so clear in his head, almost like – magic. He paced for another few moments, mind turning. He stopped as Yami appeared in front of him.

Yugi turned away, continuing to pace until Yami caught his arm, preventing his progress. Anxiety was itching under his skin, body buzzing with the desire to move – sprint – anything to get as far away from this as possible. His head was pounding with the force of the thoughts rolling through him. It couldn't be real… Yami tugged him into his chest, but Yugi didn't resist as the older boy's arms closed around him. The calm rolled through him, masking the build of his anxiety as his muscles eased in the older boy's hold.

He'd known from the start that the Millennium Item mumbo jumbo was ludicrous – was he forgoing that now? Was it possible to believe one part of someone's story and refuse the rest? His mind raced through all the people he'd encountered associated with the items – all of Yami's explanations – he'd brushed them off so easily before, but now – now he didn't know what to think.

Pulling back, Yugi looked up at the older boy, Yami's arms still locked around him. "I don't – " He stopped, taking a long breath. "I don't understand."

"It will take time."

Yugi didn't know what to say, and nerves were a sudden jolt in his stomach as the implications crashed down on him. A magic puzzle. A soulmate. Yami as his soulmate – a partner, another person to lose. He shook off the thought, jamming his hands in his pockets as he dropped his eyes.

"I will stay the evening."

Yugi whipped his head up. "What?"

"Leaving you alone will only provide an opportunity to talk yourself out of what has transpired."

"You can't just – " Yugi let out a long breath. "Atemu-san – "

"Yami," the older boy corrected.

Yugi sighed. "It's really not necessary for you to – " But, Yami was already untangling himself from him, turning towards the kitchen.

"I will prepare dinner," Yami said, voice trailing as he disappeared around the corner.

Shoulders slumping, Yugi trailed after him, attempting to work up not only how to get Yami out of his apartment, but also why the only thing he had stocked in his cabinets were rice, tea, and miso.

* * *

Yugi turned off the tap.

Putting his toothbrush back in the holder, he dried his hands, nerves bunching in his stomach as he made his way back into the hall. He hadn't exactly expected Yami to invite himself over when he'd asked him to stop by, and it wasn't like he could toss him out now. The older boy was already dressed in an oversized t-shirt and shorts that Yugi had been able to dig out from his closet, a pillow and blanket set out for his makeshift bed – the sofa – and a washcloth and towel waiting for him over the shower door.

Peering into the living room, Yami was sitting on the couch scrolling through his cellphone. The puzzle was still sitting where he'd left it on the coffee table before dinner, a meal which the older boy had managed to pull off with the bare contents of Yugi's pantry and a few wilted vegetables.

"Atemu – " Yugi paused, sigh escaping him. "Yami."

The older boy looked up at him, phone dropping to his lap as his eyes found Yugi's.

Yugi shifted back on his heels. "Is there something that I can get for you?"

"What do you typically do in the evening?"

Yugi shrugged. "I usually watch TV." He glanced at the television sitting across from the couch. "But since you're here – "

"Come sit."

Shuffling over to the couch, Yugi perched himself on the end cushion, picking up the remote. A wave of awkwardness crashed over him with the force of a tsunami as the low drone of the television filtered through the room. He was sitting on his couch, in his pajamas, watching television with the King of Games. _You're doing an awesome job at managing this – really – great job._ Flipping through the channels, he settled on a news program, glancing at the older boy to check for any objections.

Yami was looking at him, glancing at the spot beside him before back to Yugi's eyes, message obvious. There was a respectable three feet between them, and Yugi turned back to the TV, staring at the screen, rooted to his spot. It took a few seconds before the couch dipped, the older boy's weight settling beside him, his arm sliding around his shoulders.

Heart picking up speed, butterflies spilled in Yugi's stomach as his eyes drifted back to the boy next to him. _Don't you get that being this close to you is what gets us both into trouble? _But with the puzzle stationed a few feet away, his question went unanswered as Yami closed the distance between them.

The older boy's lips were warm against his, and Yugi shifted closer as their tongues touched. His fingers gripped the fabric of Yami's shorts, thoughts easing as he settled into the gentle rhythm of Yami's mouth on his. The kiss was slow, languid and Yami's fingers were kneading the muscles of the back of his neck, the pressure soft as he coaxed him back against the couch.

Warmth flooded under Yugi's skin, a lazy heat, like dozing in the heat of the afternoon sun, and his body wilted back against the sofa, cushions soft against his back as Yami's weight rested above him. Yami's lips continued to move over his, the motions unhurried as he ran a hand through his hair.

Yugi couldn't have been sure how long they laid like that, mind blank and legs tangled together, the soft drawl of the TV beside them. He squinted in the light as Yami pulled away, the older boy working his way beside him, sinking down on the couch, and drawing him back against his chest.

Eyes heavy, a commercial flickered across the TV, and Yugi's limbs grew heavier. He glanced at the puzzle across from him on the table, the glow of the TV reflecting across the surface. They laid there for a moment, silent, the heat of Yami's body behind him drawing him under. A magic puzzle. Soulmates. Could something like that really be possible? Yugi closed his eyes, Yami curled around him, his thoughts quieting until there was nothing but silence.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope to get back on a normal posting schedule soon but, this story is getting very close to its conclusion!


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **It took me about ten drafts to get this one down! Thanks for being patient.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

* * *

Yugi opened his eyes.

The TV was flickering across the room, the morning news playing across the screen as he blinked through the lethargy weighing him down on the couch. Yami's arm was draped over his side, the older boy's breath coming in soft, even exhales as he continued to sleep. The early glow of dawn was streaking through the window, and Yugi closed his eyes, filling his lungs with a long breath. He would have to be at work in an hour, but getting up wasn't high on his list of priorities at the moment.

He shifted, relaxing back against the boy behind him. _You have to get up_. But falling back asleep seemed like a much better idea. He laid there for another few minutes, dozing, when he heard the faint chime of his cellphone alarm. It was barely audible, his phone buried in his work bag in the other room, but the noise seemed to grow louder the longer he lay there – a growing reminder of reality as he forced his eyes open.

Yami's arm tightened around him as he shifted to get up, and he glanced at the older boy behind him.

"I thought you were asleep."

Yami squinted at him.

"I have to get up for work," Yugi said.

The older boy blinked in the light of the television screen, stifling a yawn. His arm tightened again as Yugi attempted to wiggle free.

Yugi turned back, frowning at him. "You're not a morning person, are you?"

"It has been some time since I have slept so soundly."

Yami closed his eyes again, and Yugi let out a sigh, unresisting as the older boy pulled him back against him. Sleep was still clinging to him, urging him to close his eyes and surrender. He had to agree, it had been awhile since he'd had such a good night's sleep but despite the hours of uninterrupted rest, his body seemed determined to conk bank into dreamland.

"Five minutes," he said. The sound of his alarm was still chiming in the next room, but he ignored it as he curled forward, closing his eyes and falling back into unconsciousness.

* * *

Yugi walked into the office at nine.

He was still trying to blink off the previous night's sleep, grogginess clinging to him despite the panicked banging around he'd been doing twenty minutes earlier. His professed extra five minutes had turned into an hour, and by the time he'd startled awake, the sun had already well passed the horizon, leaving him to jolt off the couch, throw on some new clothes, and sprint out the door. As far as he knew, Yami was still dozing on his couch.

The older boy had let him up without comment, but he had only made it up to a seated position by the time Yugi had streaked past him, one arm in his jacket, offering a hurried goodbye and asking him to lock up when he left. Straightening his jacket, Yugi ran his hand through his hair for the millionth time, hoping that he didn't in fact look like he'd just rolled off the couch and out of the King of Games' arms.

He greeted his staff as he went, slipping into his office, and collapsing into his chair. After the half-blind sprint through his apartment, seven blocks to work, and fast walk through the building, he was exhausted – and he hadn't even started the day. A knock sounded on the doorframe, and he looked up, resisting the urge to let out a breath as he surveyed the girl in front of him.

"Good morning, Mutou-san," Rebecca said. Her Japanese was flawless, a pristine flow of vowels and constants that could have fooled the keenest of ear into believing her a native. But even the most flawless of accents couldn't disguise the foreignness of her appearance. She was American, down to the trademark curtain of blonde hair falling down her back and bright blue of her eyes, as sharp as glass behind a pair of wire frame glasses.

"Good morning," Yugi said, sitting up in his chair. "What can I do for you Hopkins-san?"

Rebecca eased the door shut behind her before crossing the room, coming to a stop in front of his desk.

"I want to be put in charge of the Gifu tournament."

Yugi sat back in his chair, resisting the urge to let out a breath. This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation, but he was losing patience with each passing mention. He'd thought that she'd finally gotten over whatever beef she had with Mana, but apparently Rebecca had just been biding her time before approaching the subject again.

"We've discussed this quite a few times now, Hopkins-san," Yugi said. "Mana has much more experience than you – you are only a junior staff member. It will take time before you are ready to take on a leadership role like running a tournament."

Rebecca tilted her head to the side. "I want to be in charge of it."

"Hopkins-san," Yugi said, annoyance creeping into his tone. Why was she being so persistent? "I am not going to talk about this with you again. The tournament is two weeks away. Mana earned her place as the lead. Now, please, go back to work."

"Do you think it's appropriate to go out drinking with your co-workers, Mutou-san?" Rebecca said.

Yugi looked at her, confused at the turn in discussion.

"Because I don't think it is," Rebecca continued. She crept closer, eyes narrowed. "Especially if you're going to play favorites with your drinking buddies instead of giving someone who deserves a chance to prove themselves!"

The exclamation ended on sharp note, and as it faded between them she shook her head. "But, you know what I find even more inappropriate?" She looked at him, hard, eyebrows raised as she let a beat of silence punctuate her question. "The fact that you're sleeping with Yami Atemu."

In retrospect, her admission should have surprised him, but instead he just looked at her, considering the words, turning them over in his mind, bit by bit, piece by piece. After a moment, he stood from his chair. "Hopkins-san," he said. "I'd like you to leave."

Rebecca paused for a moment, shoulders tight before sliding her hand into her pocket and yanking out her cellphone. She swiped her fingers over the screen, scrolling, before turning it towards him. Yugi dropped his gaze, squinting at it. It was a picture of him and Yami from Saturday night. They were leaving the bar, Yami's fingers entwined with his, leading him towards the car idling at the curb.

Yugi's stomach churned as he examined himself in the photo. His eyes were half lidded, chin tipped up to meet Yami's gaze, cheeks red, and a smile tugging on the edge of his lips. He looked star struck – love struck even – his gaze intent, heated, like a lover hoping for a speedy cab ride home.

Yugi glanced up at Rebecca, finding her eyes centered on him, expectant. It had been so dark and smoky in the bar, and he'd been so drunk by the time they'd left. It would have been easy for him to overlook her, camera out, waiting to capture the perfect moment. He was careful to keep his face straight as he lowered himself back into his chair, the soft sigh of the cushion punctuating the silence hanging between them.

It wasn't concrete evidence, not even close, but it was incriminating, a reason to pause, stand back, and start asking questions. After everything he'd done – the distance, reluctance, all the running – it had only taken one click of a button, one momentary snapshot to prove what he'd been running from since day one. There was something going on between him and Yami Atemu.

"I'll show this to Mazaki-sama," Rebecca said, drawing him from his thoughts. She shoved her phone back into her pocket, hands angled on her hips. "I'll tell her all about you and Atemu-san getting drunk at the bar. About you leaving together!"

"Hopkins-san," Yugi said. "Please leave."

Rebecca crossed her arms. "Fine," she said. "I _will_ leave. I'll leave and go upstairs right now to Mazaki-sama's office to tell her everything!" She paused for a moment, as if waiting for him to jump and stop her. When he stayed seated, she whirled around in a huff, blonde hair flowing behind her as she stalked out of the room, footsteps fading down the hall.

Yugi sat back in his chair, a long breath escaping him. There it was. Everything he'd been so careful to keep buried, hidden – fighting to stay professional, keeping his distance from Yami – all of it unraveled with a single push of a button. Mazaki-sama would give him the benefit of the doubt – he knew that, but he wouldn't lie to her. Rebecca may have been wrong about the specifics, but she was right about the conflict of interest part. He'd been walking a fine line for months, and it had only taken a moment for him to lose his balance – tumbling right back into Yami's arms.

Running a hand down his face, Yugi turned to his computer, watching the pixels to fire to life as a knock sounded on his door frame. He let out a sigh, turning to the door, finding Mana – folders in hand and eyebrows raised.

"Rebecca-san nearly bowled me over a second ago trying to get into the elevator," she said. "What's her problem?"

Yugi looked at her. "Come in," he said. "I have to talk to you about something."

* * *

Yugi opened his apartment door.

Someone was cooking. He dumped his bag on the ground, listening to the crackle of oil, a utensil scraping the side of a pan before the noise grew louder, hissing with the addition of a new ingredient. He'd been walking around the city for hours, distracted – he'd almost completely forgotten the boy he'd left in his living room hours earlier. Making his way down the hallway, he stepped into the kitchen, shoulders slumping as he set his keys on the counter, waiting as Yami turned to face him.

"You stayed," Yugi said. His eyes trailed to the ingredients spread across his kitchen counter along with the spare key he kept hanging by the front door Unless the older boy had access to some kind of mystic food creating magic, he'd gone shopping. Vegetables were spread across the counter, chopped and ready to be added to whatever was frying on the burner.

Yami met his eyes. "I thought you may have something you'd like to discuss."

"Why would you think that?"

"I could feel your stress this morning."

Yugi considered that, walking to the cupboard and taking out a glass. He filled it with water, listening to the hiss of the pan as Yami added another ingredient. He stood at the sink for a moment, taking a gulp of water and then another, emptying the glass before setting it down, eyes trailing to the window in front of him.

"I told Mazaki-sama about us," Yugi said. He didn't turn around, studying the building across the way. The sun hadn't even gone down, and he was ready for bed. "One of my staff members took a picture of us at the bar last weekend and showed it to her. We were just holding hands, but it looked pretty incriminating so…"

There was only the crackle of oil as Yugi stared down at the sink, watching as a drip of water hit the basin.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"She fired me."

* * *

Yugi closed the door behind him.

Anzu Mazaki was sitting, arms crossed as she watched him walk across the room. Her eyebrows were narrowed, just slightly, fingers tapping a slow beat across the surface of her desk as he took his seat across from her.

"Good morning," Yugi said. His pulse was a rapid beat in his throat.

"Hopkins-san was just here," Anzu said.

Yugi nodded. "She said she was speaking with you today."

They were silent for a moment, the quiet settling like bricks on Yugi's shoulders.

"Yugi – "

"Atemu-san and I have been involved outside of work." The blurted admission came out easier than he'd anticipated. Beating around the bush wouldn't get him far with Anzu. His boss was always willing to lend a sympathetic ear, but she had never appreciated the runaround.

Anzu nodded. "Hopkins-san alluded to that." Her gaze trailed to the papers in front of her. There was a beat of silence before she let out a long breath. "When did it start?"

It seemed like it had started the moment he'd taken that first step into Yami's dressing room. The older boy's eyes had snapped right to his, watching him, boring through him, as if letting him know right then and there that he was never going to let him go. "We first spent time together outside of work at the Okayama tournament."

"And how long have you been romantically involved?"

"Recently," Yugi said. He met Anzu's eyes. "I tried to stop it, I just…" He shook his head. "Things got out of hand."

Anzu let out a sigh. "This is bad, Yugi."

He was quiet, dread working its way through his chest. He knew what he should say – words that would keep him in his job, deny any future interaction with Yami Atemu, apologize for jeopardizing the company. They were right there, right on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them.

He'd been running for months – desperate to keep his distance from Yami, to keep his job; find time to breathe, eat, sleep – and he was exhausted. He was tired of running, of lying, of pretending that what he felt for Yami was going to disappear if he willed it, threw up enough roadblocks between them.

Anzu was looking at him, waiting, and as he sat, room silent other than the air conditioner wheezing overhead, he knew what he had to do. He forced himself to square his shoulders, a long breath escaping him as he told his boss the truth.

* * *

Yugi turned around.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Yami was still poised at the stove, face blank as he looked at him, pan sizzling with whatever he'd been cooking a few minutes earlier. The older boy was waiting, a pause pressing between them, as the words faded, like smoke on the wind – fired – five letters, two syllables, just like that.

"I told her the truth," Yugi said, "and she decided it would be best if I left Industrial Illusions." He swallowed back the lump in his throat, the tremendous weight of reality settling in, stealing the breath from his lungs. No job. No money. No career. "So – " He let the word linger, suddenly unsure of what should follow.

He'd expected some sort of reaction from Yami, an intake of breath, a quiet apology, something, but the older boy hadn't so much as breathed in the past minute, face composed in the same façade of calm he wore day by day.

Yugi fumbled in the awkwardness. "That's it, I guess."

Yami shifted the pan off the burner, clicking off the gas. "What did you tell her?"

It took a moment to process the question, and anxiety was a cold spike in his veins as he met the older boy's eyes. "That I think I might be in love with you."

Neither of them moved. It was silent – no drip of the faucet, no hiss of oil, only the soft rise and fall of his breathing, seeming to grow more and more ragged as the seconds stretched on. The quiet laid heavy in Yugi's ribs, dread a lead weight in his stomach. He dropped his eyes, wondering, not for the first time that afternoon, if he'd made a tremendous mistake.

Then, Yami was kissing him. The creak of vinyl had been the only indicator the older boy had moved, but as Yami's lips touched his, Yugi's hands slid over the older boy's shoulders, leaning into his hold – surrendering.

The situation was less than ideal. Jobless. In love with a guy who believed he was an ancient pharaoh. A magical puzzle sitting on his coffee table. But for some reason, as he kissed Yami in his kitchen, everything seemed to fit into place – as if, somehow, despite everything, he'd ended up exactly where he was meant to be.

* * *

**A/N: **The epilogue is coming at you next chapter.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **Welcome to the epilogue, my friends! I know some of you are upset that Anzu fired Yugi, but honestly I had no doubt from the beginning of this story that he would lose his job because of all this. In my mind, I think of dueling like a sport or gambling. You can't have someone organize a tournament/game and be romantically involved with the top contender. That's an enormous conflict of interest! You would never know if the contender was winning on their own merit or because their significant other was stacking the deck for them.

I tried to keep this story as much in the realm of reality as much as possible; and in reality, sometimes we have to pay the price for our choices.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One**

* * *

Yugi knew Yami was annoyed.

The older boy's fingers squeezed his for a moment, an involuntary flex of tendons as he stared at the man in front of them, lips turned in a frown. Ryuji, however, seemed oblivious to the ire being directed his way, a smile stretched across his face as he took a sip of his drink, rings clinking against his glass before continuing with his story.

It was almost eleven, and they were packed in the back of a downtown Domino restaurant to celebrate the launch of Ryuji's new company. The gathering was a hodgepodge of people – artists, gamers, and desk jockeys, clutching cigarettes and appetizers, stumbling every so often in the dimmed lights over the warped floorboards running the length of the room.

Ryuji had zoned in on them when they'd arrived, offering a smile and wave, before working his way over a few minutes later. It had only been three months since Dungeon Dice Monsters had hit the test market, but with high sale numbers in every test location, Ryuji's backer had invested the money to bring the game national. Dungeon Dice Monsters had become an official company, with an office space, website, and enough money for a launch party in a swanky restaurant.

Yami's hand tightened around his as Ryuji offered Yugi a sly smile, winking at him as the crowd parted and Ryota Kajki emerged from the crowd. He was a hulk of a man, with the tanned skin of a coastal dweller and a laugh that carried across the room. He was also Ryuji's date. Ryuji smiled up at Ryota, bumping his arm against his as he joined them, drawing a smile on the other boy's face.

The slightest patches of red blossomed across Ryuji's cheeks, and Yugi hid his smile as he took a sip from his glass. Ryuji had told him that he'd only been dating Ryota for two months, but it had only taken a few moments of watching them to realize that the newly crowned CEO had fallen – hard.

The pair excused themselves from them after a few moments, Ryota's hand on Ryuji's back as he led him into the crowd, and Yami's fingers relaxed around Yugi's. The older boy was watching him, still half frowning, and Yugi leaned up, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Yami's fingers slid to his elbow as he began to retreat, and heat burned down Yugi's neck as the older boy pressed his lips to his.

Pulling back, Yugi shot a tentative look around the room before returning Yami's gaze, frowning. "We're in public."

Yami's lips quirked. "Our relationship is no longer secret, aibou."

Trying to ignore the blush that burned across his cheeks, Yugi took a sip of his drink. Even after weeks of hearing it, he still flushed every time the older boy called him by the pet name. Yami never called or introduced him as his boyfriend, always aibou, his partner, as if they had been together for six years instead of the six weeks they'd actually become official.

Yami tilted Yugi's chin up, pressing another kiss against his lips, hand sliding to the back of his neck. The rhythm was unhurried, unapologetic, and as Yami's lips slanted over his, it took every fiber of Yugi's will to remind himself where they were. Party. Public. Party. Public.

Yugi's stomach was still doing flips as the older boy pulled away. His head was buzzing, body heavy with the same heady sensation that filled him every time Yami touched him. He swallowed back the euphoria rushing through him and gave a quick glance around the room, confirming that no one had taken notice. After five months of covering his tracks, denying any involvement with him, it still felt bizarre just walking outside holding Yami's hand.

"What was that for?" Yugi said, looking up to meet the older boy's eyes.

Yami's hand settled on his back as he angled them towards the bar. "You are experiencing difficulty adjusting to the publicness of our relationship," he said. "I intend to assist you through the acclimation process."

Releasing a soft sigh, Yugi let Yami lead him across the room, the blush easing on his cheeks as he relaxed, following the older boy's lead.

* * *

Yugi resisted the urge to fidget.

The click of the fan oscillating beside him punctuated the silence, the summer sun streaking through the windows to kiss the tile floors in the light of late afternoon. He was sitting on the sofa in Malik Ishtar's apartment, a three story walkup in western Ozu, with Ryou stationed beside him. It had taken two declined invitations and a few long discussions with Yami before he'd agreed to come, and nerves turned in his stomach as he took a slow breath.

He knew that the more the Yami nudged him towards the Millennium Items and the people who believed in their power, the more entangled he became. He'd lost so much ground in his resolve, his mind warning him against falling in any closer, while his heart urged him on, determined to understand, if just a little bit more, what made Yami Atemu tick.

"So, Yugi," Malik said, breaking the silence. He was wearing pants and long sleeves, immune to the heat of the Japanese summer as he took sips of tea. "I heard that you lost your job."

"Malik," Ryou said, tone warning. "I'm sure Yugi–san doesn't want to talk about that."

Malik frowned. "I mean I'm sure he's thinking about it. It's a sucky situation." He raised his eyebrows as Ryou shot him another look. "What?"

Ryou let out a quiet breath, before turning to Yugi. "It must be stressful."

"Well," Yugi said. With a dwindling savings account, a hundred plus resumes sent and no prospects on the horizon, his employment situation hadn't taken a turn for the better. He let out a breath. "Yeah, it does kinda suck."

"See!" Malik said, cup rattling as he set it down on the table. "We don't have to sugarcoat it, Ryou. He's not going to wilt."

"How are things going with Yami–san?" Ryou said. "You've been living together for a few weeks now, right?"

"I've been staying in Ozu more than usual lately," Yugi admitted, warmth creeping up his neck as he tried to remember the last time he'd spent the night alone.

Malik nodded, a knowing look on his face. "I don't think I left Mariku's apartment for the entire month after we got together."

"Malik!" Ryou said.

Slumping back against the couch, Malik frowned. "What? I'm sure that he's curious about how it was for the rest of us." He picked up his tea, mumbling into his cup. "It's not like you and Bakura were any different."

Ryou sighed, turning to Yugi, cheeks pink. "The hikari–yami relationship can be rather...intense at first."

"It takes awhile to accept it and even longer to adapt to it," Malik said. He jerked his head towards Ryou. "But then I didn't think Ryou would ever give into Bakura."

"Bakura was unstable when I first met him," Ryou said, voice flat.

"Well, _I _was getting unstable listening to him bitch about how stubborn you were," Malik said. "He came over here after you told him you never wanted to speak to him again, and he punched a hole in my wall."

Ryou turned to Yugi. "Yami–san is much more level headed than Bakura."

"Yami is the most level–headed person on the planet," Malik said. "He didn't even tell us that he'd met you until weeks after the fact. Bakura, however, practically barreled into my apartment an hour after meeting Ryou."

Yugi looked at them, confused. "Why did he wait to tell you?"

Ryou exchanged a look with Malik. "When Yami–san met you, things were a bit different than with the other yamis," Ryou said. "He'd been waiting the longest of all of them, watching each of them find their hikaris and supporting them, but still having to wait, day by day, just waiting to find you."

"I don't know what he's told you, Yugi–san," Ryou continued, "but from what I understand, Yami–san has been looking for you for amost two decades. So when he did come across you, I think he had trouble grasping the reality of it. It was almost as if he thought if he talked about you, you would disappear. "

"When we met at Pegasus' party, I'd only just found out about you from Mariku," Malik said. "And the only reason Yami even asked me to come talk you a few weeks later is because he'd hit a dead end. You'd told him you didn't want him in your life anymore, and he was – well, the closest I've ever seen Yami to flipping out. I wouldn't be surprised if went home and punched a hole of his own after whatever conversation the two of you had."

"We're not trying to change your mind, Yugi–san," Ryou said. "I know that you're still not really sure about being a hikari, and I understand. I really do. But, I just want you to also try to see where Yami–san is coming from. He's been waiting for so long, and while I am sure he's ecstatic that the two of you are together, part of him, I'm sure, is still waiting for you to fully come into your bond."

Yugi glanced down, the fan clicking its way back to his side, air insistent against his skin before dissipating once more. "When we first met, I didn't see him again until almost a month later."

"It seems unlikely that Yami–san left you on your own for four weeks after he found you," Ryou said. "If I had to guess, he was probably never far away."

Yugi sank back into his cushion, the weight of the conversation settling in on him, thoughts swirling as he struggled to catch hold.

* * *

Yugi curled closer to Yami's side.

It was close to midnight, and the bedroom was dark as Yami's fingers trailed down his arm, the motion rhythmic, drawing him to ease with each soft brush of skin. They'd spent almost every night in the older boy's apartment the last few weeks, and it was starting to feel like more of a home than his apartment in Domino had ever been.

"You're still awake," Yami said.

Yugi pressed closer into the older boy's side, warding off the chill as the air conditioner kicked on, fingers settling over Yami's stomach. "I can't sleep." Yami's hand trailed to his back, urging him closer until Yugi's cheek rested on his shoulder, his fingers weaving gentle circles on the space between his shoulder blades.

"When you met me," Yugi said, the question having been turning in his head since leaving Malik's apartment hours before, "what were you thinking?"

The older boy's fingers paused, frozen against Yugi's back, before resuming with the soft exhale of his breath. "Perhaps I should not have encouraged you to speak with the other hikaris."

Yugi slid free of Yami's hold, propping himself up on his elbow, allowing the older boy's hand to linger on the lower curve of his spine as he stared down. "Really," he said. "What were you thinking?"

Silence settled between them.

"I had reached a point where I had my doubts whether I would find you," Yami said after a moment. "When I met you, I thought you were a figment of my imagination."

Yugi allowed the older boy to tug him back against his side, and he curled back into the warmth of his frame.

"It is a unique experience allowing someone to hold such power over me," Yami said. "The first time I met you was the first moment in my life that I ever felt truly powerless."

Yugi shifted closer. "What do you mean?"

"You are free to make your own decisions," Yami said. "You may have chosen to reject my advances."

Yugi propped himself back up, sputtering. "I'm pretty sure I tried to stop us getting together about a million times."

"Though I could always feel you." Yami's fingers brushed across Yugi's forehead, settling above his temple. "I've been able to sense you in my mind since the moment I found you" Yami's fingers dropped to his chin, before rising up to press his lips against his. The older boy drew him over and onto his back, mouth moving over his as his hands continued to roam.

After a moment, Yami pulled away, meeting his eyes in the darkness. "I can feel you, aibou," he said. "Your presence in my mind grows stronger every day. Eventually, even you will be unable to deny what is between us. Until you are able to accept that truth, I will be satisfied with you by my side."

Yugi opened his mouth before swallowing his objection, shaking his head.

"No arguments today?" Yami said, breath warm against his ear as he leaned down.

"Arguing with you hasn't seemed to have gotten me very far at this point," Yugi said. "I think I need to work out a better defense strategy."

"I am the King of Games," Yami said, smug as he sat back to look at him. "Any defense you devise, I will conquer."

Yugi rolled his eyes, Yami's weight settling over him as he kissed him again, lips curved in a smile. It was another hour before they settled back to sleep, and Yugi listened to the soft exhales of Yami's breath as the older boy dropped off, his hold softening as he drifted from consciousness.

_Soulmates_, Yugi considered, shifting closer into Yami's arms. It was still an outlandish concept; but when it came to the man in behind him, he'd found himself considering the idea more than he cared to admit. It had been weeks since he'd last picked up the Millennium Puzzle, yet ever since he'd heard the older boy's voice in his head, he'd tried every which way to devise a logical explanation. It had taken him weeks to conclude that perhaps the explanation wasn't a logical one at all.

He loved Yami. He knew that. He loved him despite what the older boy believed about the Millennium Items and the nature of their relationship. It was crazy, he knew, to be in love with someone who could believe such a crazy thing, but the longer he spent with him, the more Yugi found his mind circling the idea, wondering, if only for a moment, if it could all really be true.

He curled his fingers around the older boy's hand as he tried to quiet the thoughts tumbling through his brain. He had no job, rent to pay, and a boyfriend who believed he was his soulmate. He had way too much to worry about to sleep.

"Yugi," Yami's voice was a groggy whisper in his ear. "Sleep." He adjusted until he'd drawn Yugi flush against him, his breath evening until he drifted once more. It had become a recurring pattern the past few weeks – Yami would drift, and Yugi's mind would start to race. It only took a few moments of panicked thoughts before the older boy would stir behind him, telling him to go to sleep, leaving Yugi to wonder how he'd known that he'd been awake and worrying at all.

Yugi focused on the even rise and fall of the older boy's chest behind him, a familiar sense of calm tugging the anxiety from his grip. _Sleep_. Yami's command was a gentle reminder in his head, and he closed his eyes, consciousness slipping as he cast out into the darkness, thoughts dimming until there was nothing but silence.

* * *

**A/N: **Here marks the end of _Finding You_! Thanks for all of your lovely comments and support. I know that not every question was answered in this final chapter, but I hope you were able to get a bit of closure with it. As much as I loved writing this story, I am ready to move on from it, and I think this a logical place to conclude. Not every loose end is tied up, but I didn't want to leave an incomplete like so many other stories on so, I tried to address what I thought was important.

In writing this story, I really wanted to focus on an older, AU version of Yugi who had grown up and out of his canon mentality (trusting, open, believing in magic), and how that would change the dynamic between him and Yami if they were introduced later in life. I knew it was going to have to be a slow acceptance process to be believable, and that's why I am okay leaving this story here. As far as I see it, Yugi made the progression from complete denial to considering the idea of being a hikari, which will eventually lead to his complete acceptance of it.

Thanks for reading! Catch ya later.


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